


An End To All Things

by DaHyoSaYeon



Category: (여자)아이들 | (G)I-DLE, ITZY (Band), IU (Musician), Red Velvet (K-pop Band), TWICE (Band), Wonder Girls, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Action, Angst, Betrayal, Conflict, F/F, Fantasy, Forbidden Love, Gun Violence, Lovecraftian, Magic, Memories, Rituals, Rivalry, Romance, Steampunk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2020-03-02 16:50:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18815011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaHyoSaYeon/pseuds/DaHyoSaYeon
Summary: A fantasy fic featuring MiChaeng.





	1. The Shattered Veil

**Author's Note:**

> Here is some MiChaeng for y'all.

"I swear, by these stars and the gods that live among them, that I would die before I let anything happen to you, my lady"

Those were the words spoken by a knight to a lady, a promise made by the former that would endure for years, through good and bad, through the brightest of days filled with joy to the darkest, most intimate nights spent in the arms of the latter; these words repeated in the knight's head as she plunged her blade into the fleshy, writhing, tar black form pushing its way into the room. The knight withdrew her sword from the creature with a wet squelch, its viscous, pitch black ichor dripping from the tip of the blade; with an almighty effort, she threw her weight into the door and slammed it shut, using a shaking hand to latch the deadbolt. A gentle hand laid upon her shuddering shoulder, another sweetly brushed sweat and blood soaked hair out of her face; the young knight looked into the eyes of her lady and gave a smile that tried its best to hide fear and panic she felt.

"My lady, please step away from the door. It's not safe" said the knight, as she pushed herself to stand, knees buckling under the strain of being upright

No sooner had she straightened her legs, she was back on the floor; breathing laboured, body shaking. Her lady did not obey and helped her knight to sit upright once more. From her gown, she tore a strip of fabric and began to wipe the blood and inky innards from her her knight's form, taking care not to press too hard when near the various bruises and slashes that adorned her knight.

"You need to rest-"

"I need to protect you"

"You've done more than enough. More than I could ever have asked from you"

"If but one of those...things were to breach this room, I-I-"

"The door will hold"

"If it doesn't?"

"It will"

The knight reluctantly allowed herself to relax and didn't fight her lady when she laid her head in her lap. A soft finger traced the scars along the knight's face, lingering on the deepest one, splashed right across her knight's nose and cheek; a body slammed against the door with a sick splatter, prompting the knight to sit upright, only to have herself pulled back down.

"Tell me how you got this one" said the lady, ignoring the beasts at the door

"My lady, the door-"

"Tell me"

"You've heard that story many times"

"Tell me again"

With a deep sigh, the knight began her tale:

"You'll never beat me if you keep fighting like that, Chae" said the man standing above her, his hand offered.

"Stop going so easy on me and maybe I'll learn" she shot back, taking his hand.

"If I pulled my swings any more, I might as well go back to bed"

"I'm ready, if you are"

"Very well. En Garde"

Chae faced her opponent, a soldier 20 years her veteran with more battle experience than anyone else in the kingdom and, in Chae's eyes, perhaps the whole world. The two touched swords and began their sparring. Chae lunged forward with a stab aimed at her opponent's leg, he deftly sidestepped her strike and placed his blade against the back of her neck.

"Dead. Try again"

The knight hopeful took her place opposite her mentor once more and took a deep breath; she was aware of a pair of eyes watching her from a distance. She couldn't concentrate with them watching her. They made her nervous. They made her careless. She needed her heart to stop racing for her to be able to fight properly. 

"Do we need to take a breather?

Chae snapped back to her senses and shouted "No. Let's fight!"

She swung right, he blocked and tripped her.

"You're too slow"

A stab. A dodge. A slap on the back of the head.

"You're distracted"

Chae stood and brushed herself off, she spat blood onto the ground at her feet. Her mentor looked at the place she spat and then back to her; with a disapproving sniff, he sheathed his sword and turned to walk away.

"Where are you going?"

"We are done here for today"

"What, why?"

"You're not ready to be a knight, and at this rate, you never will be"

"You refuse to train me"

"You refuse to be trained"

"I've given so many years of my life to you"

"Take them back, I don't want them"

The trainee let out a frustrated a scream.

"A knight knows restraint. A knight knows her limits. A knight knows how to follow an order"

"I'm not a knight yet, so stop with the lecture-"

"A knight is also passionate, with a fire burning deep inside of them that refuses to be extinguished"

"What do you mean?"

"Princess Myoui had been watching us, specifically, you"

Chae's expression softened.

"I know. That's why I can't concentrate"

"Well, our Lady has returned to her duties. Would you like to continue?"

"Give me-"

An explosion of light and sound interrupted Chae mid sentence, sending sand and dirt into the air where it settled into a foggy haze, the stone walls of the training ground reverberated violently at the entrance of a new guest. The blast knocked Jin onto his back. he shook his head and locked eyes with his protege. Chaeyoung's ears ached from the noise and she could barely make out what Jin was shouting at her.

"Thunder beast!"

A crack of lightning flashed across Chae's eyes, her eyes burned and forced her to look away; a searing pain shot across her cheek, an unbearable heat closed in around her, the air filling her lungs burned like fire.

"On your left!" 

The voice of her mentor sounded muffled and far away but she heard enough to follow his order. Chaeyoung opened her eyes for a fraction of a second before being forced to close them again, she had seen the creature in all of its bioluminescent, electrical, thunderous majesty. A flowing mane of pure electricity framed the face of a large cat, as beautiful as it was vicious, its large, padded paws hid talons of crackling lightning and, at the opposite end of its body, cracked a forked, razor sharp tail adorned with barbs of varying lengths, each crackling with wild electricity. The beast bared down upon her but Chaeyoung was more prepared this time. With an upward flick of her sword, Chaeyoung caught the beast, sending it roaring over her head, where it landed and hissed in frustration. Its next strike caught Chaeyoung off guard, she hadn't been expecting the creature's speed. Its claw bit into the her shoulder, sending electricity coursing through Chaeyoung's body; ignoring the pain of her muscles being locked by electricity, Chaeyoung rolled forward, spun around and stabbed, driving her sword into the thunderbeast's arm. The creature unhooked its claw from Chaeyoung's shoulder and reared back, ready to leap; two arrows found their mark on the beast, drawing its attention to the one who fired them.

"Looks like I saved you again, Chae. Your debt's starting to rack up" laughed the archer, who loosed two more arrows before dropping into the pit.

"No time for talk. Fight" shouted Jin as he charged the beast.

The three on one melee began once again, the archer fired arrow after arrow, each landing with pinpoint accuracy on a target that was barely visible among the the dust. Chaeyoung flanked left, Jin on the right, both launched at the creature with downward slashes; lightning erupted from the beast's mane, shocking the two who were within its range. Chae dropped to the ground, unable to move as electric pulses shot through her body. Jin, who's heavy armour absorbed more of the shock, managed to complete his swing and slam his blade into the thunderbeast's neck; the beast wrenched itself free and darted up the pit wall. The thunderbeast eyed the three with something akin to contempt and was gone in a flash of light, leaving behind nothing but the smell of ozone and scorch marks.

Chaeyoung collapsed onto her back and laughed, a deep, hearty laugh from her stomach; Jin sat down and took a series of deep breaths, he shook the remaining electrical charge from his sword arm, sending sparks arcing into the dirt. 

"I'm getting too old for this shit" he said, removing his gauntlets and undoing the straps of his chest plate.

"You're not that old, Jin" offered the archer, who had returned to her perch atop the wall "Besides, if you were a little more sprightly, Little Chae wouldn't stand a chance"

Chaeyoung, who had stopped laughing, opened her eyes and looked at the woman who just insulted her.

"Why are you sitting all the way over there, why don't you come a little closer, Tzuyu?"

"I'd prefer to keep my distance, wouldn't want to catch your mediocrity"

"Ladies-" started Jin, but Chae interrupted

"It's because you know you're shit in a real fight"

"And how would you know what a real fight is exactly?"

"Come down here and I'll show you what I know"

"You and I both know I could drop you without you even having a chance"

"Fighting from the shadows like a coward, maybe"

"Life isn't all about blundering about like an armoured bull in a china shop"

"No, it's about killing someone in their sleep or crippling them with poison so they can't fight back. You're no knight. Knights have honour"

"I'm the best archer this kingdom has, I was trained by the greatest spymaster to ever live, I took my oath, I paid my price, I am a knight. What are you but a sniveling child that has deluded herself into believing she'll be anything more than...whatever it is you are now?"

Judging by Tzuyu's tone, Chae had struck a nerve.

"Well, come on then. Let's get this over with" said Chae as she undid a gauntlet and threw it on the ground in Tzuyu's direction.

"The challenge has been issued. Tzuyu, do you accept?" Asked Jin reluctantly

"You're going to regret this, Chae" said Tzuyu, dropping off the wall and rolling to her feet "I accept"

"How do you want to do this, Knifey Shivdark?"

"We fight with what we have right now. Sound good to you?"

"Perfect"

"Alright, rules are as follows: Use what you've got. No magick of any kind and most importantly, no strikes with intent to kill. Understood?" Explained Jin, looking between the two

"Uh-huh" said Chae, who nodded at Tzuyu

"Understood" answered Tzuyu

"Very well. En Garde" 

Jin looked from Chaeyoung to Tzuyu and back again, he raised his arm and with a shout of "Allez!" the duel began.

Chaeyoung took a deep breath and charged the much taller archer, who took two hops back and fired two arrows, one glancing off of the knight's leather pauldron, the other grazing her left cheek; the knight continued undeterred. A flash of silver as Chaeyoung chopped swung left, Tzuyu stepped right and delivered a kick to Chaeyoung's stomach, winding her; doubled over, the knight could.only cast a frustrated look at her opponent. Tzuyu placed a hand under Chaeyoung's chin.

"Don't tell me that's all you've got, little Chae" she said

Without a word, Chaeyoung wrenched herself free and raised her sword; the look in her eyes dared Tzuyu to make the next move. And she did. Faster than Chae could react, Tzuyu had taken two steps and backflip away, firing two more arrows in the air. The arrows landed inches away from Chaeyoung who yelled out:

"You missed!"

Her joy was momentary as another arrow struck her shoulder and then another wedged itself into her shin guard; tears brimmed in the knight's eyes as her frustration outweighed any pain she might be feeling. 

"Don't cry Chae, if I really wanted to hurt you, I could"

Chaeyoung knew she couldn't win a fight at range, she knew she had to force her opponent into a corner. A determination burned in her chest, a desire to best Tzuyu at any cost decided her next actions. The knight snapped the arrows sticking out of her armour with her sword before taking a knee and staring into Tzuyu's eyes; this would be a different fight for now. Tzuyu's poster relaxed, she lowered her bow and sat with her legs crossed, returning Chaeyoung's gaze. In Chaeyoung's mind, she saw different avenues of attack but also saw Tzuyu's answers to these: she could rush forward and fake left only to swing right but by that time, Tzuyu would have already taken two steps backwards and maintained her range advantage. She could charge in and...no, Tzuyu had an answer to that too. Jin stepped between the two with hands raised.

"If this is how this duel is going to continue, I will have to call it to and end"

"No!" Shouted Chae "This isn't over until one of us wins"

"Such a petulant child" said Tzuyu, raising her bow again "Let us finish this. Now"

Eyes closed for a moment, to focus. Air exhaled, to empty her lungs. Muscles tensed, in preparation. Deep breath in, to fill her lungs to their limit. Eyes opened, to see her target. Jim barely had time to move before Chaeyoung rocketed towards Tzuyu, who had momentarily been surprised by her opponent's speed. Chaeyoung closed the gap fast, but Tzuyu was faster.

"Not this time!" Roared Chaeyoung triumphantly

The knight dropped into a slide, using her knees to skid along the ground, her left hand grabbing a fistful of sand. Chaeyoung flung the sand into Tzuyu's eyes, giving her the opening she needed, no, desired; she swing in a wide arc, her sword bit into the thick leather of Tzuyu's boot, knocking the archer to the floor. The knight ripped her sword free and climbed on top of her felled opponent; she stared down at Tzuyu with righteous fury, her sword pressed against Tzuyu's left breast.

"I've won. Admit defeat"

"You've won nothing" grunted Tzuyu

A shadow flashed passed Chaeyoung's face, she stared at the object clutched in her opponent's right hand: an obsidian blade; then came the pain. Warmth dripped down Chaeyoung's nose and cheek, a familiar smell met her nose. Blood. She felt the razor sharp tip of another blade pressed against her throat.

"Do it" moaned Chaeyoung "You've proven your point. I have nothing to live for. End me"

"No. This was for fun" whispered Tzuyu "But that. That is a reminder of this day. Let yourself be humbled everytime you see it, run your fingers across it, have to recount this day to people who ask. You've been beaten but your will has been tempered. Grow from this, don't shy away from your dreams, little Chae"

"The winner by first blood: Chou Tzuyu" announced Jin.

"Did you ever best Lady Chou?"

"No. Never got the chance. She...fell to those creatures outside the door during the first invasion"

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be. She died for her kingdom. She died for her queen"

Lady Myoui was silent, her hand, which had been stroking Chaeyoung's cheek, fell motionless at her side. Warm drops landed on Chaeyoung's forehead, she turned her eyes upward to see her Lady in a state of distress.

"My lady, what's the matter?"

"It's my fault"

"What do you mean?" 

"If I tell you something, do you promise not to judge me?"

Chaeyoung struggled to sit upright and turned to face Lady Myoui, she grasped her hand and kissed it softly 

"There's nothing in this world I could ever judge you for, my Lady"

"I wish I could say the same for myself"

"Nothing is unforgivable-"

"These monstrosities ravaging our home, our castle, are here because of me. Because of something I did, a choice I made"

"I don't understand. The veil has been weakening for years, only recently have the..." Chaeyoung trailed off, her eyes growing dark "What did you do?"

"I did it for us"

"What did you do?" Shouted Chaeyoung

"I-I-"

"Tell me!"

"I wanted to be queen!"

"What?"

"I wanted to be queen"

A wet splat shook the door, but neither party acknowledged it.

"I don't understand"

"I sought out someone capable of tearing a hole in the veil, a hole large enough to allow something catalclysmic to pass through and into our world. She swore it would be under my control but this isn't what I wanted"

"I don't know what to say"

"I thought if I ruled everything, I could change the rules. I could let us be together. I did this for us"

"We can be together-"

"Not if I want to be queen"

Before Chaeyoung could stop herself, she was on her feet.

"We don't have time to discuss this. I think-I think-"

Chaeyoung never got to finish her thought as the door burst open and viscous, black forms flooded the room; Chaeyoung, who had been knocked down, scrambled to her feet and stood infront of her Lady, ready to give her life to protect the one she loved. The first two amorphous blobs to lurch into the room were cut down in two swings, their gelatinous bodies sloshed to the floor with wet splashes. The next creature, a large black, horned hound, rammed its way into the room, knocking aside the shambling heaps of flesh crowding the hallway. The hound made eye contact with Chaeyoung and bowed its head, various fluids of indiscernible origin dropped from its horns where they pooled on the floor; Lady Myoui pushed passed Chaeyoung and reached a hand out to touch the beast's head.

"Shh, it's okay" whispered Mina, who looked at Chaeyoung and then back to the Hound "She is my protector, she's just like you"

The Hound snorted in response, a glowing red eye watched Chaeyoung with malicious intent.

"Mina, what's going on?" Asked Chaeyoung shakily, all formalities forgotten 

"He was a gift from my master"

"Your master?"

"I succeeded in finding someone to tear open the veil and, thanks to her, I found a source of power. She allowed me to make contact with something not of our realm, something far older than even the most far flung galaxies, something so powerful and mystical that I, we as mankind, can scarce comprehend. When It spoke to me, it was in maddening whispers, but at the same time, Its words brought me such comfort. Oh, Chaeyoung, the only place I've felt more loved has been in your arms, feeling your heartbeat and your chest rise and fall as you slept so soundly, holding me so tight that I could have fallen into an endless sleep if it meant being with you, the only time I've felt more loved, was when It spoke to me. If only you would allow me to give you the same gift I was given, you could see how small and insignificant we are on a cosmic scale, you would see how powerful It could make you. We could live forever, together, in a world that would never judge us for being us, for being in love. I love you, Chaeyoung, and I'd first see the world burn and torn asunder than let another day go by without screaming my love for you from the tallest tower of this castle for the world to hear. With It helping us, I could make it a reality"

"This is madness, Mina"

"Is it madness that drives me to want you? Is it madness that makes my heart race at your thought? Is it madness to want the world to suffer as we have? If it is madness to love you, then I declare myself insane, because I would do anything for this love"

"You would let this world burn, slaughter millions, end the lives of our friends, our dearest friends, for love?"

"For you"

"You've gone mad"

"No, I see things clearer than ever before"

"You've allowed your mind to be warped and corrupted by a foul creature whose sole purpose is destruction. As a knight of this realm...and as the woman who loves you, I cannot allow this"

"It's too late, Chaeyoung. This is the beginning of the end for this world, but it doesn't have to be the end of us. We will be born anew into a world crafted by my master's loving hand, a world where we would rule together. Please don't turn away from this. Don't turn away from me"

"I'm truly sorry, Mina" said Chaeyoung solemnly, raising her sword in her shaking hands "I cannot let you become a monster"

The Hound raised its head and nudged passed Mina, standing guard in front of her. Mina scratched behind the Hound's ear before taking a step back; "I'm sorry, Chaeyoung" she said as she raised her hand and pointed a finger at her "Attack"

Mina's Hound let out a roar, filling the room with the fetid stench of rot and decay, bone spines, yellowed with immeasurable age, protruded from its back, flesh ripping fangs jutted from its jaw and a miasma of death surrounded its form; Chaeyoung gripped her sword tighter, unafraid of this beast's appearance. Nothing would stop her from freeing her beloved. The Hound leapt forward to close the distance, it swiped with a shadowed claw. Chaeyoung deflected the swipe with veteran ease and spun around to deliver a forceful slice aimed at the Hound's head; her sword hit one of the Hound's fangs and bounced off, not even leaving a scratch. For the first time in Chaeyoung's life, she felt primal fear. This thing staring her down, with its claws and spikes, its familiar but terrifying form, scared her. Chaeyoung looked at Mina, she looked back to the Hound. Her decision was made for her. 

Chaeyoung took a deep breath. Sword at the ready, Chaeyoung ran at Mina. She leveled the tip of her blade, aimed at Mina's heart. 

Chaeyoung closed her eyes the moment she felt her sword sink into her lover's chest, her heart shattered. When her blade hit bone, she pushed harder. When she was sure her task was done, when she was sure she had ended the life of her beloved Mina, Chaeyoung collapsed into a heap on the floor and waited for the Hound to end what was left of her life.

"Thank you for caring enough to try" 

Mina's breath warmed Chaeyoung's ear when she whispered those words to her; Chaeyoung opened her eyes to see her sword buried deep in the Hound's neck. Mina stepped behind Chaeyoung and placed her arms around her knight, her champion, and kissed her bloodstained cheek, letting her lips linger for a moment longer than they should have.

"I love you, Chaeyoung, but this is something I have to do"

Chaeyoung watched as Mina take her place next to her Hound, at a complete loss for words. Mina looked at Chaeyoung with sadness reflected in the tears welling up in her eyes, she blew Chaeyoung a kiss before placing her hand on her Hound and vanishing in a shadowy mist; Chaeyoung's sword clattered to the ground, it's blade jagged and broken. 

Chaeyoung pounded the floor with her fist and screamed in frustration. She made a promise to herself, a knight's sacred oath:

"I swear, by these stars and the gods that live among them, that I would die before I let anything happen to you, my lady"


	2. Enmity Among Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our knight finds herself reunited with old friends, but soon learns that family isn't forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a ton of dialogue in this. If it ain't your bag, my bad.

"Get up Chaeyoung, you're not dying here. Not today"

His voice was as warm as the arm around her waist, holding her up. Chaeyoung's vision faded in and out, her body unwilling to be upright in its own.

"I'll get you out of here, I promise. You just need to stand, please"

"Why?" Thought Chaeyoung "How?"

"Back, back you beasts, back I say!" He shouted, pulling Chaeyoung closer.

The crack of a pistol sounded next to Chaeyoung, filling her nose with the powerful smell of gunpowder; Chaeyoung opened her eyes and blinked away the fog of tears and exhaustion to see a sizeable horde amassing in the castle hallways, blocking their way out. Another crack followed by a "shit" from her support.

"Put me down. I can fight" she said through dry and cracked lips.

"You okay?"

"I'm...fine. Just give me a sword"

A short sword was pressed into her outstretched hand.

"Sorry it's not bigger but it's all I got"

"Typical"

"What is?"

"Always worried about the size and not how you use it"

"Is now really the time?"

"There's always time, Jungkook"

"Cover me while I reload, okay?"

"No problem"

Chaeyoung took a knee and held her sword out, ready to skewer anything that got close enough; behind her, Jungkook was crouched, slowly reloading a set of old flint lock pistols. A pair of beady, lifeless eyes drifted over to the pair of huddled figures, slowly its mouth opened in a silent scream, a bony, mangled finger pointed in their direction.

"There" it moaned without moving its slack jaw.

The rest of the monsters turned in their direction and began shuffling forward, closing in on them.

"Jungkook?"

"Yeah?"

"Whatever you're doing with those-"

"Pistols, they're called pistols"

"Do it faster. Please"

"Why-" asked Jungkook as he looked over Chaeyoung's shoulder to see the shambling army "Oh, uh, give me a second"

The first corpse pressed itself onto her blade but didn't stop, it kept pushing toward them, forcing Chaeyoung to use her whole weight to push back.

"Jungkook?"

"I'm working, I'm working"

Chaeyoung drove her short sword deeper into the corpse and shoved it backwards, sending it tumbling into its undead comrades; the sound of hooves echoed through the hallway, they sounded as if they are coming from the staircase leading downstairs. A pair of red eyes and horns appeared from around the corner, to Chaeyoung, a familiar sight.

"Almost done here-"

"Jungkook, whatever it is you're going to do, do it now!"

"Duck!"

Chaeyoung collapsed backwards under the weight of the bodies piling on top of her just as Jungkook threw a series of small bundles past her; a quick shot from his pistol ignited the bundles, showering the horde with flame and tar, which then ignited as well and served to spread fire further down the hall, sending screams and yelps echoing off the walls. A firm hand gripped Chaeyoung's arm and dragged her to her feet, Jungkook pulled Chaeyoung back up the hall and into a room where he barricaded the door as best he could. A look around the room revealed it to be one of the libraries, although this one had an entire section dedicated to alchemy and bore the personal touches of either a genius or a madman.

"There, that should hold" 

"Why are we in the library?"

"Oh, well, it was the first place I could think of to hide in until help arrives"

"Help?"

"Yeah, Momo managed to send me here and she'll be sending Namjoon and Jeongyeon when they get to her-"

"It was Mina" interjected Chaeyoung

"What was?"

"This"

Chaeyoung slumped into a chair near the alchemy desk and buried her face in her hands.

"I tried to stop her but I failed"

"Where is the princess?"

"She's gone"

"You don't mean-?"

"No, she's alive...just not here anymore. I tried to stop her, but failed at that too"

"This is no one's fault, least of all yours-" 

Jungkook paused for a moment, then added, with a smirk "Well, maybe a little"

Chaeyoung glared at him from behind the veil of thick dirt and blood caked around her eyes.

"I'm only joking, Chaeyoung"

"Now is not the time"

"By there's always time for dick jokes?"

"How long do you need?"

"For what?"

"To prepare"

"Oh no, we're not leaving here. It's safe-"

"-Safe, really?" Scoffed Chaeyoung

"Safer than out there. Besides, Momo already knows where we are, or at least she will as soon as you turn on that beacon over there"

Jungkook pointed to a large, purple crystal jutting out of the alchemy desk; Chaeyoung stood up from her seat and strode over to the crystal. She eyed the crystal, unsure what to do.

"Well, go on then. Touch it."

Chaeyoung reached out with shaking fingers and cautiously placed them against the cool crystal; at her touch, the crystal burst into an array of colours, sending light cascading across the desk and surrounding walls. A warmth spread through her fingertips, although she couldn't locate the source.

"It's...warm"

"Warm?"

"Yes. Does that mean something to you?"

"I supposed that means our friends finished their job in the desert"

"Job?"

"You've been tied up with Princess Mina for a while, Chae. Maybe you've not noticed, but, it's been a few years since we were all together"

"I know how long it's been. I remember our parting of ways like it was yesterday-" 

Chaeyoung gave Jungkook a side glance

"I also know what trouble Jeongyeon's been getting herself into"

"Then you know why we were in the North?"

"Enlighten me"

With a toss, a small, leather bound journal landed on the desk in front Chae; the cover was badly damaged by burn and claw marks. Jungkook relaxed in the same chair Chae had previously occupied and leaned back, hands resting on his head.

"We're bounty hunters-"

"That I know"

"Well, we received word that a special bounty was available along the Northern Coast. When I say special, I mean, Chimera level special"

"So, what did you find when you got there?"

"Nothing"

"Nothing?"

"The place is a wasteland, there isn't anything but sand. It's like everything was uprooted and dropped into the ocean"

Their conversation was interrupted by a voice from the ether. 

"I found them. They're safe, don't worry-" said the voice, speaking to other unseen people.

"Momo, pull us through!"

"Jungkook?"

"Yes-"

"Where is Mina?"

"We can discuss this as soon as you get us out of here" answered Chae, adding "it's been a while, Momo"

"Lady Chae, I'm so glad to hear your voice, I couldn't feel your essence before. I- We, were so worried about you-"

Another voice interrupted Momo's rambling.

"Enough, Momo. Pull them through. We've got a lot to talk about"

"Yes ma'am" said Momo "You ready?"

"Hang on" shouted Jungkook as he wrapped an arm tightly around Chaeyoung's waist and pulled her tight against his side "Okay, go. Now, Momo!"

Blinding light accompanied a feeling of weightlessness for a fraction of a second, then suddenly gravity kicked in and Chaeyoung felt herself plummeting towards the ground, but the two kept falling, and falling and falling for longer still. Chaeyoung's insides felt like jelly, her head spun and thanks to being blinded, she had no idea which way was up. Just as soon as it had begun, it ended. Chaeyoung found herself in an oppressive heat, the sand she laid upon burnt her skin and her head ached.

"It's never easy the first time-" said Momo, who dropped to her knees and hugged Chaeyoung 

"-Or the hundredth" interjected Jungkook, dusting himself off "You alright, Chae?"

"Not really. I feel as though I'm going to vomit" moaned Chaeyoung "When will this feeling pass?"

"Five minutes, maybe" 

After returning Momo's hug, Chaeyoung sat up and took in her surroundings. They were in a small camp, in an expansive desert, sand as far as her eyes could see. Nothing but sand. 

"Where's Jeongyeon and Namjoon?" Asked Chaeyoung, taking a sip of the offered water "I heard them"

"He's in the library and she's...around"

Confused, Chaeyoung looked around the camp once more.

"Library?"

The flap of the tent opened and out stepped Namjoon; he closed the book in his hand with a loud snap and waved to Chaeyoung "it's been some time Chaeyoung. You look well"

Despite her exhaustion, Chaeyoung pushed herself to her feet and ran towards Namjoon, locking him in a tight hug. 

"I missed you so much. Please, never leave me again"

Before Namjoon could answer, a woman's voice came from the tent.

"We didn't leave you. You left us, remember?"

Her hug finished, Chaeyoung released Namjoon and strode towards the tent; the same voice stopped her.

"Don't come in. We have nothing to talk about right now-"

"You said we did"

"We need to speak to Jungkook, not you"

"Jeongyeon, I want to apologize-"

"For what? Abandoning us when we needed you, or maybe you want to say sorry for choosing knighthood over us. Or maybe, you want to apologize for crippling your brother"

"Enough, Jeongyeon. Leave her alone" commanded Namjoon, without raising his voice "it's not your fault I'm like this, Chae. No one could've foreseen what befell me or-"

"Stop it Namjoon. Stop defending her!"

Chaeyoung's entrance into the tent nearly ripped it from the ground; inside she found her antagonist seated at a war table, her eyes shrouded in darkness as she stared dead ahead at Chaeyoung.

"I can defend myself, especially from someone like you"

"How dare you?" Shouted Jeongyeon, now standing "How dare you act like nothing has happened? We had to watch our family be torn apart by circumstances brought on by selfish choices-"

"I had to watch a kingdom burn to the ground over the course of a couple hours, I had to watch people that mattered to us all, die. I-I- stood by and allowed the woman I love, the woman we all love, fall to the promise of corrupted power!"

"This isn't about you. It's about us! It's about what you did to us!"

"To think I wanted to apologize" murmured Chaeyoung as she opened the tent flap 

"Fine. Run away like you always do, Chae!"

"Jeongyeon. Enough!" Barked Momo, pushing her way past Chaeyoung, hand raised in front of her. A small flame quivered in her open palm "Leave her alone"

Jeongyeon drew her crossbow in a flash and pointed it directly between Momo's eyes; her finger resting on the trigger, her eyes narrowed, her face expressionless.

"Don't push me, Momo. You know I won't hesitate"

Fearing for her friend, but more out of anger, Chaeyoung pushed Momo behind her and stood in front of Jeongyeon, lips curled into a snarl; Jeongyeon remained stone faced.

"Is this what I missed, huh? You threatening to down a friend for your petty, little grudge?" Asked Chaeyoung, pushing forward until the tip of the bolt pressed against her skin "You're pathetic. You don't have the guts to pull the trigger. Threaten us all you want, because they're just that, threats"

"Do not mistake this for mercy" said Jeongyeon, lowering her crossbow "I'm saving this bolt for someone. Someone who means more to me than you do"

She returned to her seat and placed the crossbow on the table. 

"Leave" she said.

"Let us take our leave, Momo. We're done here" said Chaeyoung, pulling Momo into the burning heat of the desert "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have given into her provocations"

"She had no right to attack you like that-"

"But she has a point, doesn't she?"

"She does, but we can talk through it. Believe me" said Namjoon, a hand on her shoulder provided comfort and, his calm, warm voice was reassuring.

"Don't take what she said personally, Chae. Jeongyeon has just been under a lot of stress" said Momo

"A knight should always maintain her composure. Although, right now, I feel less like a knight than ever before"

"I'll be honest, I never thought my little sister would make it as a knight. For what it's worth, I'm proud of you" 

"You need to rest, Chae" suggested Momo, handing Chaeyoung a cup of tea that she pulled from the aether "Drink this, it will relax you"

"Thank you" said Chaeyoung, taking the tea and drinking from it "This is delicious. What is it?"

"A mixture of spiritual mist and sleep aether"

"I'm drinking ghosts?"

"In a way, yes. But think of it as the dew that forms on the edges of reality, where a sprint passes through before they return to the cycle. It's truly invigorating"

The tea began to take effect, Chaeyoung could feel her body relaxing against her will, her limbs felt like lead and she could no longer find the strength to stand; Namjoon and Momo helped support Chaeyoung and carried her to an empty tent. She was laid down on a large, fluffy bed and let sleep claim her.

In her slumber, Chaeyoung dreamt. She found herself in a clearing, surrounded on all sides by cracked and burnt woods, their edges teaming with writhing black figures without form; before her stood Mina, her face shrouded in darkness, an aura of evil drifted off her form. Chaeyoung gripped the blade in her hand and walked towards Mina; the princess raised a hand and black tentacled creatures leapt forth from the blackness and wrapped themselves around Chaeyoung, dragging her to the ground.

"Why do you struggle?" Asked Mina, slowly forming a fist

"I need to save you" Chaeyoung choked out "Nothing else matters but saving you"

Mina clenched her fist and laughed; the tentacles around Chaeyoung's neck tightened until she could feel her skin tearing. Chaeyoung reached out a shaking hand, desperate to be close to Mina.

"If this is your best, then you have no hope of saving me" said Mina with a sigh "You are, after all, the most pathetic knight I've ever known"

Chaeyoung shot up in her bed, sweat dripping from her face, her hands and skin were clammy and shaking.   
After a few deep breaths, Chaeyoung lifted the tent flap and let the cool night air wash over her, grateful that Momo had removed her bulky, stifling armour; the stars shine brightly above her, fully visible away from the high stone walls and free from torches marring their beautiful light. She bathed in their glow and pushed her dream out of her mind. If she was going to save Mina, she needed her family's help; she exited the tent and, against her better judgement, strode over to the main tent and entered, ready to reconcile with Jeongyeon. 

Inside the tent, Chaeyoung carefully and quietly searched for the Jeongyeon's bed; when she found her friend, she found her asleep in the arms of her brother. How long had they been a together, how much had Chae missed? 

"Jeongyeon" whispered Chaeyoung "Jeongyeon, please wake up"

"Uh" murmured Jeongyeon in response, eventually stirring

"Wake up"

"What do you want?"

"I know it's late, but we need to talk"

Much to Chaeyoung's surprise, Jeongyeon agreed and carefully slipped out from underneath Namjoon's arm; she pushed passed Chaeyoung and stepped into the moonlight. She turned to face Chaeyoung as the latter exited.

"You woke me up. Now speak"

Knowing she had to remain civil, Chaeyoung swallowed her pride and calmly began:

"I'm sorry. Sorry for abandoning you, for abandoning them and for splitting our family apart. I chose to stay with Mina and protect her. But I made that choice out of selfish love. I didn't care about how it would affect us. I know I can't, but I'm asking for your forgiveness"

Jeongyeon stared off into the distance, her posture remained rigid, her face somber.

"Do you know what we went through?"

"Only what reached the kingdom. From what I did hear, you chose to become a bounty hunter"

"I didn't get a choice, so you've got that wrong. I, no, we, became mercenaries because of a misunderstanding. Do you know what it's like to branded a traitor by your country?"

"I heard about that as well. You killed the son of a noble-"

"He was a werewolf. I had to put him down"

"A werewolf? Did you really think anyone would believe that?"

"Doesn't matter if anyone believed it, we were always going to be guilty. His father hired us, wanted the job to be done quietly. What nobleman's son gets turned into a beast, right? 

So, after we finished the job, his father put a price on our heads and claimed it was a political killing. So, we chose to run. Namjoon, Momo, Jungkook-" Jeongyeon paused and took a deep breath, her guilt was palpable "Nayeon. But I'm sure you already know what happened"

"Nayeon was with you?"

"She was, yes. Unfortunately, she was killed while escaping another group of bounty hunters. We couldn't even go back for her body"

"I'm sorry, Jeongyeon"

"Eventually we were caught. Lady Luck, however, has a sense of humour and we ended up trading our services to a shadowy organisation for freedom. We owe her our lives, but the things we had to do, still make me angry. Being someone's servant for years, paying off a debt that shouldn't have been pushed onto us. It wasn't right. 

When you left us, Chaeyoung, you left us without direction. We were all going to be great people and change the world in our own ways, but when you left you took our dreams with you. Namjoon couldn't focus on his work, even though he through himself into it, going so far as to neglect his wellbeing. Jungkook tried his best to fill the leader role, trying to be everyone's rock but he's just a kid, he looked up to you, like you were an infallible being, a perfect leader, even after you left he tried to lead by your example. He hides it well now, but he's in pain. 

And Momo? I thought she was going to break after our final task, our last job before freedom. You ever seen what Momo can do when she's on the edge of losing it? We have, and it's terrifying. That girl fell into a dark place and came out stronger than she ever was, but she's not right anymore. There's something dark in her now. 

I know I should shoulder the blame for what happened to Namjoon and Momo and Nayeon. I accept that, but I don't know if I can forgive you"

"I understand. You have every right to blame me-"

"What happened with Mina?"

"She's fallen under the control of an entity that's hellbent on creating it's own hellscape on earth. She turned the people of her kingdom into hideous creatures and sacrificed her friends for power, there's nothing else to say"

"Did you try and stop her?"

"I did. I was willing to kill her to save her"

"But you didn't"

"I failed, yes"

Silence filled the gap between the two. Jeongyeon stared out over the desert, arms folded; she took a seat on the ridge and motioned for Chaeyoung to join her. 

"Do you believe she can be saved? Do you truly believe you can save her?"

"I have no choice. I have to"

"Okay"

"Okay?"

"Then we're in. We'll save Mina, together. Just like old times"

"Thank you, I can't-"

"-Is what you want me to say, but I can't give you that. I can't pledge myself or my family to your cause. We're only people, we're not an army and there is no chance of us stopping her if she has the power you say she does"

"Jeongyeon, please-"

"No. I refuse to put them in danger-"

"Even to save a friend?"

"Mina isn't our friend! She's your love, she's your light, you want to save her! The only people that matter to me, are asleep in those tents. I won't let you tear this family apart again, I won't let you lead them on a suicide mission. I can't"

"So that's it then? You're just going to turn your back on our princess?" Barked Chaeyoung, adding as she walked away "Maybe you are a traitor after all"

"Knights see things in such simple terms, don't they?" Jeongyeon called after her "Your duty is your life and your duty comes before your family. Honour above everything else. In your own words you spoke of Mina's evils and yet you'll still walk into the depths of oblivion to salvage what little piece of her might remain in the darkness, but you couldn't be bothered to help your brother when he came to you for help, you couldn't find the time to visit us. Not even once. Yet you have the gall to stand there and call yourself our sister, to call yourself family"

"If you had any honour, maybe you wouldn't be here, in the desert, afraid to show your face in any civilized city. Maybe if you truly loved someone, loved them so much you'd do anything within and beyond your power to save them, maybe then you'd understand"

Chaeyoung didn't bother to wait for a response; she stormed off to her tent and threw herself onto her bed. Was she wrong for wanting to save Mina? Had she fooled herself into believing she could save her? Chaeyoung held her head in her hands and sighed.

"I don't know what to do. I don't know what I can do" she said to the room "I want this to be a dream, a very realistic and shocking dream, nothing more"

"Oh, dear Chaeyoung. You're pitiful" sneered a voice from the shadows

Before Chaeyoung had time to react, icy hands wrapped around her throat, sharp nails digging into her neck, breath like shards of ice froze her skin. From the darkness shone two yellow eyes, their slit pupils gazing into her own, causing primal fear to well up in her chest. 

When the voice spoke again, it's smile, though hidden in the darkness, was tangible:

"Come my dear, let Jimin make it better"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, written on a phone, forgive the spelling mistakes. 
> 
> Probably my last effort for a while, can't find the will to keep writing. Too many different stories going on at once, so I think I need to take a step back and chill.
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	3. Desert Dust-up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story continues in a new locale with familiar faces.

Blood trickled down Chaeyoung's neck, coating her assailant's hands in her thick, warm essence, her pulse raced and her heart pounded away in her chest; the nails ripping into her neck dug deeper, their owner's bloodlust driving their actions. Chaeyoung struggled in the darkness with her foe, reaching for a weapon with violent desperation, but her hands wouldn't listen. Her arms grew tired, her flailing slowed and her breaths were shallow: Chaeyoung's fight was over. Jimin ran his tongue along his fingers, and then her neck, lapping the freely flowing blood with impish delight; suddenly, as if being burnt, the vampire recoiled and released his grip on Chaeyoung.

"What...are you?" He hissed, retreating into the darkness 

Chaeyoung coughed as the night air rushed into her burning lungs, each cough sent blood splashing across the sand; where the blood landed, it bubbled and steamed. The knight watched on in disbelief as her blood began to boil, it generated an intense heat that stung her eyes; the blood gushing from her neck, too began to boil, causing her to withdraw her hands from the gaping wounds. 

Through the pain and numbness, Chaeyoung found the strength the stand and, having reclaimed her sword, faced her attacker.

"I don't fear you, creature-" said Chaeyoung, between coughs "your retribution shall be swift, demon"

Something sparked to life deep inside Chaeyoung's stomach, it burned like embers, heat rose in her form, intense heat, blinding heat; the creature in the corner backed away further still, clawed hand searching for a way out. Every inch of Chaeyoung's body felt as though she were being run through a crucible, as if molten gold were being etched into her flesh. The pain grew to be too much and Chaeyoung collapsed to her knees, every bit of strength used in an effort to stay conscious. 

The pain stopped altogether, and for a moment Chaeyoung could breathe. 

Then the air ignited. 

Chaeyoung's body was racked with an indescribable pain, flames nipped at her skin and Chaeyoung watched on in horror as her skin blackened under the intense heat. Her skin flaked off in large, grisly chunks, that burnt to ash before they reached the ground; she begged for someone to save her, prayed that it would end soon. 

And it did.

When her eyes opened, Chaeyoung stared into a star filled sky, the fire and the pain but a memory. Her mind was still, save for the unintelligible whispers guiding her actions. Chaeyoung raised her blade and pointed it towards the now exposed vampire; as if by some holy presence, her blade burst into a bright white flame, from hilt to tip.

"Foul creature, unclean spirit. Kneel before me and I shall guide you to salvation" she said, her distorted voice echoed through the night.

"You're a half-blood?" He said with a laugh "You have no idea what you are, do you?"

"Enough talk, demon. Come, face your demise" commanded Chaeyoung, unperturbed by the question

A shot rang out, followed by a hiss of pain from the vampire.

"Thought you could-" started Jungkook, faltering in his steps as he approached the two "What, uh, what the hell is going on?"

"I believe we'll settle this at a later date, Chaeyoung" cackled Jimin as he vanished in swirl of shadow.

Chaeyoung turned her burning gaze towards Jungkook and advanced on him, flaming sword still raised.

"Chaeyoung, stop!" Shouted a disheveled looking Momo as she too entered the fray.

When Chaeyoung paid her no heed, Momo crouched down, placed both palms against the sand and shouted:

"Terra Bind!"

At her command, the sand around Chaeyoung twisted into a pair of gigantic hands that clasped themselves around Chaeyoung's burning body; the scene fell dark as Chaeyoung's luminous form was snuffed out. Cracks began to form in the hands and Momo shook with the sheer amount of will it took to keep her spell going. Soon the sand flaked away, and Chaeyoung burst forth from her temporary prison, leaving a mangled glass sculpture in her wake.

"Your magic makes you my enemy. I wish it were not so" said Chaeyoung, her blade now turned towards Momo 

"Namjoon, Jeongyeon, anybody!" Shouted Momo, desperately preparing another spell

A bullet whistled past Chaeyoung's head, followed by another, the next one struck her in the chest; soon a veritable hail of bullets fell upon her, but they were washed away in a wave of flame like chaff in the wind. Momo locked eyes with Chaeyoung, her gaze pleading with her to stop; when she didn't, Momo uncorked her canteen and sprayed water into the air, the water became ice at Momo's command and rocketed towards Chaeyoung. The impact of each icicle slowed Chaeyoung down, but her steps never faltered; her bright burning flame melted the ice after a moment, yet Momo kept on pummeling her friend with more and more ice. 

"Chaeyoung, please stop" pleaded Momo through tearful sobs "I don't want to hurt you"

An explosion of sand and smoke at her feet, stopped Chaeyoung for a moment; two bolts, from the smoke, ripped into Chaeyoung's legs, pinning her in place. She reached down and grabbed hold of a bolt, only to have it explode in her hand; the blast threw her off balance, forcing Chaeyoung to take a step back.

"Now, do it Momo!"

"When the smoke clears, throw everything, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Here goes! Entomb!"

Ice walls burst up from the ground surrounding Chaeyoung, they snapped together and sealed her in an icy sphere. The ice expanded for a second before collapsing in on itself, forming its shape to Chaeyoung's body, fitting so tight, she couldn't breathe; her powerful flame began to dim. Explosions shook the ice, their impacts formed yet another ring of ice around her coffin; then there was silence. 

Chaeyoung could make out shapes through the blurry ice walls, they were examining the ice and, more importantly, its occupant.

"Is it over?"

"I hope so. Momo, are you okay?"

"I am, but what about Chae?"

"We have to get her out of there"

"No"

"Jeongyeon, that's my sister-"

"Whatever THAT is, is not your sister!"

"Momo, drop the spell"

"Don't you dare, Momo"

Chaeyoung had had enough of their fighting. The same fire that burned so brightly just a moment ago, burst back into life, and through tremendous effort, Chaeyoung managed to erupt from the ice, sending shard in every direction and collapse onto the sand, her flames extinguished. 

She looked up at her friends and uttered a weak "Namjoon" before slipping into a deep, exhausted sleep.

The rattling of wooden wheels roused Chaeyoung, the blazing sun was held at bay by the canopy above her head; when Chaeyoung sat up, she was met with resistance. She glanced down and found herself shackled to the floor of the wagon, her bindings were made of the same thick, magical ice that had held her before. 

A particularly rough bump caused her head to bounce off the wood, and she let out a groan of annoyance more than pain.

"Ça alors, she's awake" 

"I can see that, child"

"What are we going to do with her?"

"Exactly what Jeongyeon asked us to"

"Should we not ask her first?"

"I would appreciate that very much, please" interrupted Chaeyoung

"Yubin-"

"Ugh, fine"

The wagon took a hard right and slid to a stop. The wagon shook as the people in front dismounted and rounded the back; a woman wearing a mask stood over Chaeyoung and stared at her with narrowed eyes. Another masked face appeared next to her and too stared at Chaeyoung, as if they were waiting for something to happen. The first masked woman withdrew a dagger from a shoulder strap and knelt over Chaeyoung; she drove the dagger into the wood next to her head and motioned for the other woman to join her. 

"My pardner here is gonna release you from your fetters, but I'm warnin you: you make a move I don't like, you're deader than a catfish in a skillet. You understand?" Said the first woman, her gaze no less intense than before

"I understand. Now, please?" Said Chaeyoung, jingling the shackles

"Go ahead, Jieun. Release her"

The woman, identified as Jieun, waved her hand over the shackles and they melted into nothingness, leaving Chaeyoung free to sit up and stretch; her whole body ached with a dull throb and her exhaustion hadn't been lessened by her slumber. Chaeyoung stretched her arms out in front of herself and gasped in shock. 

All along her body, a quick lift of her shirt confirmed this, were intricate, beautiful tattoos. 

No, not tattoos. Etchings. 

Chaeyoung ran her fingers across their surface and found them to be gold and warm to the touch. 

"I cannot imagine that was very enjoyable work to have done?" asked Jieun, her lilted French accent was in stark contrast to her partner's southern drawl "They look as though they are solid gold, no?"

"I didn't do this to myself, if that's what you were implying" said Chaeyoung defensively "Who are you people and where are my friends?"

"Well, fer starters, my name's Yubin, you may have an inkling as to who I am already but-"

"Actually, no. I don't"

"I'm the best goddamn bounty hunter this side of the equator, that's who I am"

"What she means to say, mon ami, is that WE are the best. She forgets that this is a team. Please forgive her, how do you say, boisterous attitude"

Jieun offered her hand to Chaeyoung, and sensing an air of hostility, gave a friendly nod in an attempt to assuage her apprehension.

"Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Mademoiselle Lee Jieun, Maîtresse de Magie. À votre service"

"Son Chaeyoung, Captain of The Queen's Guard-"

"What?" Yubin interjected violently "What did you say you were captain of?"

"The Queen's Guard-?"

"Oh for fuck's sake!"

"Zut alors" said Jieun with a soft sigh and a scrunch of her nose "I wonder why she never bothered to mention that?"

Yubin leapt from the wagon and ran to the front, she climbed into the driver's seat and took hold of the reins; soon the horses were barreling down the dusty, desert road, cacti and palm trees whipping past in a blur.

"Yubin, what's gotten into you?" Cried Jieun, hand clasped onto her hat to save it from flying away 

"Have you forgotten what it is we're hauling here?" Was Yubin's response "It's highly illegal, Jieun"

"She's a friend of Jeongyeon. I'm sure she has no problem with these type of things"

"So, it's okay for her to report us to the authorities? Wait, she is the authorities. What the fuck has Jeongyeon gotten us into? Why us? Why me?"

The arguing between the two annoyed the, already confused and angry, knight and she piped up from the back:

"I won't turn you in or arrest you" 

Chaeyoung's tone changed and her voice quivered, the memories of the past few days weighing heavily on her.

"There isn't a kingdom, not anymore" she said

Jieun spun around and stared at the knight in disbelief.

"The kingdom is... gone?"

"Yes. There is a great evil let loose in this world and it began at the castle"

"How come we ain't heard nothing about it?" Asked Yubin, over the horses thundering hooves

"I suppose not a single call for aid made it out then. We were besieged by an innumerable force, unlike any this earth has ever seen. Creatures so foul, their presence taints the dirt they tread upon. Each time an innocent was slain, they would rise up to join the ranks of fetid undead and accursed, shambling creations. It was a massacre"

"And the royal family, surely they must still live?" Pressed Jieun, a sudden waver to her voice

Chaeyoung knew she couldn't mention Mina without explaining how and why she was the sole surviving royal, so she chose to say the opposite.

"None survived. Princess Myoui was the last to fall. I couldn't save her"

"No, it's not possible" cried Jieun, turning to the front and sobbing into the back of Yubin's shoulder "Yubin, tell me I misunderstood. They can't be dead. She can't be dead"

"Maybe...maybe-" 

Yubin yanked on the reins violently, causing the wagon to drift sharply to the left, sending the occupants tumbling to the floor; the driver rolled backwards into the wagon to join the others and motioned for them to stay low.

"We've been followed since we left their camp, thought maybe it were some bandits and whatnot, but they's looking like they're professionals" she explained

"Assassins?" Inquired Jieun, her demeanor now more aggressive 

"Don't reckon so, but, maybe" 

"Why would there be assassins after this wagon?" Interjected Chaeyoung "It wouldn't have to do with your cargo, would it?"

"We ain't hauling nothing worth sending hitmen over. Unless they's after you, Little Miss Knight" 

"Whatever the case may be, they will not get their hands on this wagon" said Jieun "I assume you will assist in the dispensation of pain, should it be required, no?"

"If they threaten us, then by all means, yes" confirmed Chaeyoung "Although, I'll need a weapon" 

With a nod, Jieun stood up and pulled a long, shimmering, blue, saber with a vicious looking, deep hooked tip, from the aether and handed it to Chaeyoung.

"You can borrow my mine" she said, shards of black ice conjured in her hands "I am more than capable without it"

Yubin lifted the flap near the front of the wagon and peeked out, scanning the vicinity for any signs of their pursuers; she spotted them not too far off, along a ridge, crouched in the shadow of a divet in the rock were three hooded figures. She turned to the two in the back and relayed this information.

"Way I see it, we've got a few options. We can either wait for them to come to us, or, an' this here is my personal choice, we can burst out of here, like a bunch of lunatics and go full scale scorched earth on them. Thoughts?"

"Do you suppose our client would mind if we, what's the word, uh, test out the goods?" Asked Jieun, a wicked grin flashed across her face

Chaeyoung could feel Yubin's excitement when she answered with:

"I don't reckon they would. I do not reckon they would mind in the least"

Chaeyoung was politely asked to open the long, dark wood crate behind her; with some effort, the lid popped open. Inside, Chaeyoung could make out a series of long, fluted, steel pipes packed tightly together with two thick, dark, iron discs at either end and one in the middle. 

"What is this, exactly?" She asked as she passed the contents to Yubin, who eagerly began placing the parts together.

"Creator don't got a name for it, as of yet, but it's...well, you'll see, soon as you hand me that last part right there" answered Yubin, pointing to a large, complicated looking, cylinder.

Part handed off to Yubin, Chaeyoung watched on as she attached the last piece; it locked onto the steel pipes with a satisfying click. Jieun handed Yubin a long belt of copper coloured metal pieces, which Yubin then fed into a slot in the cylinder.

"Oh my Lord, I am thankful that I have been able to live long enough to see something like this here work of art in action" she said, wiping away a nonexistent tear

"Those metal pieces, they seem familiar. I think I've seen them before" stated Chaeyoung

"Yeah, them's called bullets and they sure do hurt like hell if ya get clipped. You're really out o' the loop, ain't you Ms Knight?" Answered Yubin with a laugh "When y'all are ready"

Jieun and Chaeyoung took positions at the back of the wagon, sword in hand and magic primed; Yubin leaned over the pipes and peeked out once more, before she returned to her sitting position. Yubin leaned back against a crate filled with bullets, propped her feet against the edge of the wagon, racked a metal handle on the cylinder backwards, and pulled the trigger. 

The part with the pipes began to slowly rotate, a soft hum coming from them, before steadily increasing in speed until it was spinning rather rapidly; Yubin's smile grew wider and wider with each rotation, until something clicked in the cylinder. 

The machine roared into action as it poured bullets into whatever Yubin was aiming at; Chaeyoung ducked out of the wagon and into the slowly fading light, searching for the enemy as they fled under gunfire. She spotted a trio of shadows making their escape and called out their position to Yubin, who trained her fire on them; the bullets threw up clouds of dust and debris as they ripped through rock and foliage, creating a near impenetrable wall of fog. 

Chaeyoung stuck her head inside the wagon and whistled to get Yubin's attention.

"What?" She yelled in response

"They're gone. You scared them off!"

"Oh alright!" Said Yubin, letting go of the trigger.

The front of the gun began to slow, it's glowing red pipes hissed and groaned under the intense heat; Yubin released her hold of the gun and let out a cackle of pure joy. When she turned to Chaeyoung, her eyes were glistening and she wiped away a real tear this time.

"That was single handedly the greatest moment of my life-"

A worried scream from outside caused both Yubin and Chaeyoung to jump; Yubin leaned out the side she had been firing from and called out to Jieun, who was hurrying back to the wagon:

"What's the matter wit chu?" 

"Go! We need to go! Now!" 

"What, why-" 

Yubin fell silent, eyes wide with terror; Chaeyoung peered past her and quickly understood why. 

In the distance, from out of the dust, came a roaring horde of bandits, humanoid blobs in the shape of people and a variety of other unholy creations; the canyon they emerged from, echoed with the cries of hundreds more. 

An inhuman hiss brought the horde to a standstill, the wave of bone and blood shifted once before settling into an agitated, mumbling, muttering plateau of pain.

"Hand over the girl, and I'll let you live"

Chaeyoung thought she recognised the voice, although it was distorted and unnatural in its timbre. The speaker sounded as though their vocal chords hadn't been used in some time; the voice spoke again, louder this time.

"Give us Chaeyoung and, by the grace of our God, you will leave this place unscathed. Choose to fight, and you will be crushed entirely"

"I'll give you hell before you get a drop a blood from me!" Shouted Yubin in response "Yer army don't look too tough, by the by"

"So be it" laughed the voice

Three arrows pierced the side of the wagon, landing between Yubin and Chaeyoung; Yubin grabbed hold of the gun and held the trigger until the steady stream of bullets began again. Chaeyoung rolled out the back of the wagon and searched for Jieun; she found her standing between the wagon and the rapidly advancing undead army, hurling bolts of black magic into the horde. Each bullet that tore through the enemy, caused them to explode into clouds of smoke and dust, yet their numbers never lessened.

Chaeyoung ran to Jieun's side and took up a defensive stance.

"We need to get out of here" she said to Chaeyoung, still slinging spells without missing a beat

The knight deflected a rusty khopesh, crushed her attacker with a well placed knee, and took down two more fiends with a wide slice; from the dust came an axe, it narrowly missed Chaeyoung's head, thanks to a quick and accurate bolt of fire from Jieun. The army before them remained undaunted. 

A wall of arrows rained down on them, which Jieun burnt to ash with a powerful swathe of black flame; the sound of hooves roared above the concerto of battle and from the dust came a mighty steed that spewed festering, necrotic poison with each footfall, a rider clad in formidable, beautifully crafted, pharaonic armour, sat atop the creature. 

"Hello Chaeyoung, it's been some time" said the rider

As the heat of the day began to fade and the cooler air of a desert night took its hold, the setting sun set the rider's armour ablaze with a golden glow, the weapons clutched in either hand gave off an unnatural aura that clashed with the darkening sky. The rider's posture, its presence, its voice, seemed all to familiar to Chaeyoung, and when the rider removed its helmet, it brought her to a sickening realisation. 

Sword clutched firmly in her hand, a scowl plastered across her face and determination burning in her eyes, she faced the rider head on.

"Yes it has, Jin"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written on a phone. Spelling is tough. Writing is difficult and, at times, daunting but ultimately rewarding.
> 
> Mages are OP and need to be nerfed, us tanks really suffer.


	4. Desert Dust-up 2: The Fallen Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaeyoung has to find the strength to fight, both an old friend and herself.

In one swift motion, Jin dismounted and began swinging his gigantic blades as if they were wooden practice swords; although Chaeyoung blocked the first two swings with ease, she was still shoved back by the sheer strength behind each heaving blow. 

The knight steadied herself and returned with her own attack, the sabre she wielded, though far thinner and smaller than either of Jin's khopesh, translated every ounce of power she put into each swing as though it were a claymore. Jin braced against the impact, sliding a few inches in the shifting, loose sand, before regaining his footing and countering with a high and low strike. Chaeyoung hopped backwards, a strike biting into her right thigh, and returned a thrust aimed at Jin's lighter armoured stomach; the tip of her blade barely pierced the bronze scales. 

The undead horde, perhaps bored with the duel, seethed into action once more, forcing Jieun to focus on keeping them at bay; Yubin too resumed her fire support from the wagon.

The knight and her mentor traded blows, each combatant as capable as their foe, but as each swing, counter and lunge, sapped more and more of Chaeyoung's strength, Jin continued on as though the fight was little more than light exercise to him. 

As the duel tipped in Jin's favour, by way of him overpowering Chaeyoung's defences with a mighty swing that forced her to take a knee, a mote of darkness struck him in the shoulder with staggering force; Chaeyoung took the opening and lunged at his stomach. When Jin moved to block the attack, the knight used the blade's hooked tip to catch his weapon and twist; the khopesh was but a moment away from being wrenched free of his grip, victory was in sight. In a show of superior combat prowess, Jin overpowered Chaeyoung's attempt to disarm him and, using his far larger and heavier blade, shattered the borrowed magician's sabre. The force of the counter sent Chaeyoung to the ground.

Chaeyoung, head ringing from the knockdown, looked to the mage as she battled the countless undead swarming her; Jieun's magic carved temporary paths through the teeming creatures but it was a lesson in futility as their numbers seemed to grow even larger. The knight could barley hear the gunfire over the sound of the shouting and hollering of the bone army. A rough boot to the chest and Chaeyoung was forced onto her back, with Jin standing above her; darkness dripping khopesh rested against her throat. 

"You've become quite the combatant, Chaeyoung" growled Jin "But you're still no match for your mentor"

"You died. Back at the castle. I watched you die" 

"I did die, yes. I died to save our princess and my sacrifice was greatly rewarded. She gave me life once more and gave me an army"

"She made you into a monster"

"She made me better than I ever could've been. My body was falling apart, a disease consumed me more and more each day. She fixed me. Now I fear nothing for not even death can bind me"

"I can never forgive you for this"

"Little Tiger, in a few moments, you'll be free. Free of worry, free from the shackles of life. Perhaps my Queen will find it in her heart to save you"

"I will never be a monster like you. Never"

"But you already are a monster, Chaeyoung. You were born one"

Chaeyoung felt the same intense heat from the previous night well up inside her again, the maddening whispers too flooded her thoughts drowning out the fear stricken cries of Jieun as she was finally overwhelmed by corpses; the gunfire had stopped altogether and Chaeyoung was sure the wagon was no more. 

"I will never join the ranks of foul undead. Accursed creature" 

Jin laughed, although it sounded more like a death rattle, and removed the blade from her throat. He stood back and raised his swords, ready for combat.

"This is what I wanted. This is the fight I was looking for!"

Searing white light exploded from Chaeyoung, scorching the earth around her in a massive ring; when the light faded, Chaeyoung was on her feet, ablaze once more. 

"I pray you live up to the tales of your kind, Nephilim" said Jin, twirling his weapons in an impressive display of dexterity

"You shall know soon enough" said Chaeyoung

The Nephilim rushed forward, she cared not that she had no weapon, she would crush her foe with her bare hands; Jin too advanced, moving at a considerable speed to close the distance. 

The first strike was his and Jin pressed his advantage of being doubly armed and took two cleaving chops with each blade. The curved blade of the khopesh had little effect against the gold etched into Chaeyoung's skin, much to the suprise of Jin. Chaeyoung landed a punch against Jin's chest that dented his breast plate and sent him flying; Jin hit the ground and rolled to a stop.

The undead army surged back to life, their ranks swelling once more, and formed a circle around the two. They began to press together, closer and closer. Chaeyoung turned and grabbed hold of a skeletal soldier, who ignited at her touch, and hurled him into the wall of bone and steel, creating a hole that was quickly filled. 

Jin returned to his feet and attacked Chaeyoung once more. He kept his distance and, after focusing for a moment, hurled a wave of black and green fireballs in Chaeyoung's direction; the few that did land, Chaeyoung brushed off without a care. As the knight advanced towards Jin, a few of the soldiers leapt at her, trying to pin her down; they were reduced to ash the moment they touched her blazing form. More and more piled on top of her, their attempts to harm her did little more than slow her approach. 

Eventually, through sheer numbers, Chaeyoung was brought to her knees.

"It pains me to end it this way, Chaeyoung. But I have my duty to my Queen" 

"What sense of duty could an abomination have?"

Jin crouched beside Chaeyoung and stared into her eyes; by his expression, he was in deep thought about what to do. He righted himself and called out to his army:

"Bring our enemies before me"

The mass shifted as a whole and soon, Jieun and Yubin were ejected from the wall of bone; Jin held a blade out towards the mage.

"Kneel"

Jieun stared at Jin and refused to do as he commanded; Yubin spat at him, hitting him in the face, much to her delight.

"I ain't never gonna kneel to something like you" shouted Yubin "You ain't nothing but a-"

Yubin never finished her sentence, as she was silenced by a head spinning boot to the face. She tumbled to the dirt, clutching her nose.

"Will you kneel before an emissary of God, and pledge your undying loyalty to your Queen?" He asked, once again pointing his sword at Jieun

"Va te faire enculer" she spat in response "I serve no master"

"Will you submit or will you let them die?" Asked Jin, turning his attention to Chaeyoung.

The knight's glowing form dimmed until the desert was plunged into darkness once more. Chaeyoung looked from Jin to Jieun and Yubin; on her honour as a knight, she knew what needed to be done.

"Let them go" said Chaeyoung softly "And I will submit to my princess"

Jin lowered his blade and looked down at Chaeyoung, a troubled look on what remained of his face; he reached into the dog pile that pinned Chaeyoung to the ground and pulled her free and to her feet. 

"Release them" ordered Jin "We have who we came for"

The horde parted, allowing the two former captives to escape, if they chose to do so. Jieun shook her head and reached for Chaeyoung's hand. Eyes on the ground, Chaeyoung pulled her hand away from the mage and started in the direction of the canyon.

"What are you doing? Have you gone mad?" She shouted

"Take Yubin and leave, Jieun. Leave"

"I suggest you heed Chaeyoung's words. Lest I change my mind" said Jin, hand on Chaeyoung's shoulder "My soldiers don't normally show this much restraint"

"You're a fucking dickhead, Deadboy" groaned Yubin as she sat up, her nose had been broken but the bleeding had stopped "You ain't taking Chaeyoung. That's my payday you're messing with"

Jin chuckled and raised a hand, signalling to the waiting horde, and looked over his shoulder at Yubin.

"Kill them and then destroy that city"

"You promised me you wouldn't hurt them, Jin!" Shouted Chaeyoung, pushing and pulling to free herself from Jin's grip

"They had the chance to run, but they chose to insult their superior. So now they will die"

"This isn't what Mina would want"

"You know not what our Queen desires. I am acting on her orders-"

"Then kill me. Follow your orders. Just let them leave"

The undead knight ignored Chaeyoung's pleas and spoke into a gem embedded in his gold bracer:

"I have her. Bring us back, Sunmi" adding "In one piece"

A few moments after he finished speaking, a rift of void black ripped itself into existence, its darkness swallowed what little light remained in the desert night, a portal to places unknown, perhaps places that should never be known. Mentor lead mentee towards the rift, her struggling without success to free herself, and took a step in; he was about to pull Chaeyoung in with him but, at the last second, she broke his hold and scrambled to safety. Jin spun around and reach out to regain his hold on her at the exact moment the rift faltered and slammed shut, slicing his arm clean off at the elbow; the fallen appendage hit the sand with a wet plop.

There was a moment of stunned silence before the army roared into action, an all consuming mass of destruction and rage. Chaeyoung wrenched the khopesh free from its previous master's grasp and, despite the searing pain shooting through her arm, charged head on into the the group surrounding Jieun and Yubin. The weapon crushed its way through the skeletal creatures, splitting bone and ripping decayed flesh to ribbons, with unbelievable ease; Jieun provided a massive burst of black flame to clear out enough soldiers to allow her and Yubin to escape. 

Chaeyoung kept cleaving a path through their enemies and, with assistance from the mage's powerful spells, the trio managed to fight their way back to the wagon. 

"Can you get us out of here, darlin'?" Asked Yubin as she climbed inside the wagon and began reloading the gun

"I need time, but I believe so"

The knight buckled at the knees but forced herself to remain standing, she obliterated every foe that challenged her and, even though she stumbled, Chaeyoung refused to give in to the death-like exhaustion that racked her body; each swing left her more and more tired, unnaturally so. 

"Do what you must. I will give you all the time I can" said Chaeyoung, before launching herself into yet another skirmish.

"I got you, babe" shouted Yubin from the wagon as she opened fire on the horde

Jieun rifled through her spell book until she found what she needed and began performing the necessary incantations. Glowing purple runes appeared beneath each of the three, increasing in luminosity as the mage grew ever more fervent in her spell casting. 

A few warriors overwhelmed the knight, forcing her to give up precious ground she could scarce afford to lose, but they too were crushed by the blade. The horde had turned its full attention on the trio and was now barreling down on the wagon; a voice spoke to Chaeyoung, striking a chord of fear that caused her breath to catch.

"Use me" it growled

As though her actions were guided by an unseen actor, Chaeyoung gripped the khopesh with both hands and, without an ounce of grace that a seasoned fighter would have, swung the blade with such force that it left her winded. From the blade, erupted a black burst so dark it drowned out the night around it. The blast traveled towards the approaching horde in an arc and exploded the moment it touched the first undead creature, carving a deep gouge in the earth in the shape of a crescent. 

"Yes. Yes. I can sense your power, Nephilim" purred the voice "I've not known true power in eons"

"Jieun" gasped Chaeyoung, fighting for air "Hurry"

The mage snapped her book shut and with a terrifying cry of pain, succeeded in allowing them to escape the horde by way of blinking them to safety. The three landed with a thud on the ground outside the walls of a city; the fearsome horde could be heard in the distance, their war cries and hollering carried over by the breeze. 

Barely able to breathe and clutching her chest, Jieun crawled towards the winded knight and grabbed hold of the khopesh, indescribable fear reflected in her eyes.

"Chaeyoung" she croaked "We have to the destroy this"

"That will have to wait" said the knight, rising to her feet and shoving Jieun aside

"Chaeyoung's not here right now"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed it for how short it is and whatnot.
> 
> Sad news, maybe, but this will be the last thing I write for a very long time. Sorry.
> 
> Not to go too deep into it, dear beloved reader, but lately I've been dreading writing anything at all. I'm far too critical of my own work to enjoy working on new chapters of my stupid amount of series, or creating any new series or one shots or drabbles, etc. 
> 
> So, it's with a heavy heart that I have to take an extended absence from AO3, and writing in general, to find my love for creating again.
> 
> Sorry folks.
> 
> Please don't forget to support TWICE and always, my deranged abominations, Feel Special.


	5. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's...it's a long one.
> 
> Also
> 
> Sorry.

Jieun grabbed hold of Chaeyoung's arms, bright purple light pulsing in her palms, and began casting a spell; Chaeyoung pulled an arm free, grabbed hold of Jieun's right arm and twisted until the mage was forced to release her hold. 

"Chaeyoung. This isn't you. It's that cursed blade" pleaded Jieun

Chaeyoung's response was to twist Jieun's arm even further, forcing the woman to her knees. The knight stared down at the mage, her eyes lifeless and cold. She raised the khopesh high, its gilded edge glimmering in the faint moonlight, and brought it down on Jieun's arm; the lack of contact with anything solid, confused the knight, as her blade passed right through the mage's limb. A streak of purple flashed in front of Chaeyoung's eyes before an immense pressure began to bear down on her; the knight fought against the invisible weight as best she could but, even with her remarkable strength, found herself sinking into the earth, the sand providing no stable footing, until she was knee deep in the desert.

"Yubin, grab her arms!" Commanded Jieun "Don't come into contact with that sword!"

Chaeyoung's arms were pulled behind her and held in place by a wounded, but determined, Yubin. The knight thrashed about violently when Jieun placed her hands once more on her body, this time she covered Chaeyoung's forehead with a palm and, with the other, her heart. An immense warmth flowed through Jieun's hands and into Chaeyoung, the pain was unbearable, even more so than when Chaeyoung's newfound abilities would manifest, and the knight begged to be put out of her misery.

"A little more, dear Chaeyoung" said Jieun, her words clouded by the massive effort her actions required

Soon, the warmth cooled until ice flowed through Chaeyoung's veins, a pain, if possible, worse than any physical pain she had ever experienced, worse than the fire that tore through her form not a moment before. Eventually, the ice faded and Jieun collapsed onto her back, taking shuddering breaths and coughing. Yubin released Chaeyoung and helped her from the sand trap before she too collapsed onto the sand, breathing heavily. The knight fell forward, knees refusing to obey their master, heart pounding against her ribcage so hard, she swore she felt a rib crack. 

"What. What happened?" Asked Chaeyoung hoarsely

"She saved your life" answered Yubin

"That weapon, it corrupted you, or more accurately, the demon bound to it, corrupted you" explained Jieun "I removed it from you-"

"Thank you-"

"Don't thank me yet. I removed it and bound it to myself-"

"That's dangerous" interjected Chaeyoung

"Maybe if you're normal, but Jieun, she ain't normal"

"I must confess, I'm less Mistress of Magic and more, talented warlock" 

"You're loyal to a demon?" 

"I was"

"But not now?*

"Jieun's way smarter than any demon, that I can promise you" 

*The short version is that I swore my loyalty to a demon, usurped its power and, once it had no control over me anymore, subjugated it"

"And the sword demon?"

"It was willingly bound to the khopesh, but now it is under my service for eternity"

Chaeyoung pushed herself to take a knee and bowed.

"Forgive me, Mademoiselle"

"There is no need to apologize, really"

There was a brief moment of silence as each women took a chance to breathe, to relax, for whatever that was worth. Yubin broke the silence with a question.

"Forgive my rudeness, but what the fuck are you, exactly, Miss Knight?"

The question hit Chaeyoung like a truck, right in the chest.

"I... don't know"

"That dead guy called yous a Nephlegm-"

"Nephilim" corrected Jieun, finally finding the strength to sit upright

"Yeah, that" said Yubin "Wha's that?"

"I've heard the name before. I'm not an expert but, if I recall correctly, Nephilim are the children of angels, or 'holy' beings"

"I don't understand. How can I have anything other than human in me? Both my parents and brother are normal"

"Like I said, I'm not an expert in all things holy-"

"Luckily, I'm your friend, Miss Knight. I know someone who deals with Gods and demons and shit on a daily basis" said Yubin, uncorking a bottle of dark brown liquid she had produced from somewhere and taking a deep drink "Y'all want some?"

"Merci" said Jieun as she eyed the bottle with some trepidation before taking a gulp and recoiling in disgust "Oh Mon Dieu, c'est quoi cette merde?"

"Dunno. I took it off one of those things we was fightin"

"What is wrong with you?"

"I was thirsty. Don't judge me"

"About your friend" interjected Chaeyoung

"Right right. I've gotta visit with another acquaintance, get paid and then we can I can see about setting you up with Dahyun"

Chaeyoung looked up at the wall before asking:

"Where exactly are we?"

"Steamtown"

"I can't say I've ever heard of this place"

"Most likely cause this is a hotbed of crime, depravity and good ol' fashioned sin. Not to mention, it ain't even that old in the grand scheme of things" explained Yubin, rising to her feet

"I believe it to be in our best interests to split up" said Jieun "Someone has to warn them of the incoming horde"

"Let me accompany you-"

"Rather don't. You have assassins after you, and this isn't a town where the law is welcome-"

"So I'm to slink in the shadows, avoiding people, like some kind of criminal?"

"I thought you was smarter than that. Look, I understand your need for justice and the like, but you ain't gonna of no use to noone if you're dead" said Yubin, scowling at the fiery knight

"I can't sit back and do nothing!"

"You can and you will" shouted Yubin, her voice taking on a vicious edge that scared even Chaeyoung "Not be rude or nothing, but you've, as per recent events, shown you can't keep a cool head and literally set yerself alight to deal with things. Outside of sticking to me like a shadow, you ain't gonna be of much help until you learn to control yerself!"

"You're just like Jeongyeon" spat Chaeyoung "Always have to be in control, telling people what they can and can't do, ordering them around like they're beneath you. I was a captain of the royal guard. I do the ordering. I tell you what to do and when to do it, I say jump, you say 'how high?', I'm in charge, I'm in control, I am the one with all the responsibility resting on my shoulders, I'm the one who couldn't stop her. I'm the one who let her go. It's....it's my fault"

Suddenly, Chaeyoung felt her chest tighten, breathing became difficult and her world tilted violently from side to side, the voices of her companions began to fade away into unintelligible noise; a firm hand on her shoulder, grounded her for a moment, just long enough to hear Jieun's soft, sweet voice.

"Mon Dieu, she's going into shock. Quick, hold her steady and keep pressure on that wound" she said.

"Wound? What wound?" Thought Chaeyoung, looking at where Yubin had placed her hand.

Deep crimson spilled between the outlaw's fingers, staining her hands a beautiful rouge; a long, deep gash shot from her right hip across her stomach, terminating in a vicious hole.

"It's not enough" said Yubin solemnly, hoisting Chaeyoung onto her back "She needs a doctor"

"Let me die" murmured Chaeyoung in a haze of pain and soul crushing sorrow "Please let me die"

"Nuh-uh. You ain't dying today" 

Chaeyoung struggled to keep her eyes open, she could feel the cold fingers of death creep their way into her veins, its icy tendrils constricting her heart, squeezing until it beat once every so often. Chaeyoung was dying. 

"You fought well today" said the soft voice, warm breath prickling her ears

"Not well enough" 

"Sir Jin is a formidable foe. There's a reason why he's won the tournament so many times"

The knight was silent, listening to the heartbeat of her beloved. Her skin, warm and soft. A kiss on the top of her head, a gentle squeeze of her hand. Sweet peach and night jasmine intermingled with lover's perspiration, creating a wonderful bouquet of the most delicate flowers. 

"Chaeyoung" whispered Mina, her heart racing "I love you"

It was the first time Mina had ever said those words to her. The first time Chaeyoung felt the fear of loss. The knight entwined her fingers in those of her princess, and kissed her hand. She kissed up her arm, across her stomach, covering every inch of her love's body with her lips, committing each beauty mark, each perfect imperfection to memory. There was no one in this life, or the next, that Chaeyoung could love more than Mina, she would cross the void of death to protect her princess. Her Mina. The knight couldn't fight the tears, no matter how hard she tried.

"I love you too, Mina" replied Chaeyoung, placing kisses on Mina's collarbone "I would die for you"

"I pray you never have to" 

The couple fell into the rhythm of lovers, silent, save for whispered declarations of eternal, undying love. 

"Promise you'll never leave, on your honour as a knight, promise me"

"I promise you, Mina, I shall stay by your side, until judgement day"

In this memory, or perhaps it was a dream, Chaeyoung could remain for eternity, if it meant never having to face the horrors of a reality she inadvertently helped create, failed to prevent. If this was the death Fate had chosen for her, who was she to fight it? For all she knew, or cared, the world could've ended in the moments between when was last conscious and this blissful dream she found herself in, trapped in the arms of the woman she loved. 

"Damn the world and what it demands from me" she said, thinking out loud

"Is something wrong?" Asked Mina sleepily, running her fingers across Chaeyoung's stomach

"No...ahh" cried Chaeyoung, clutching her side "Ahh...I need...a moment"

The knight, reluctantly, rose from the bed, leaving Mina's warm embrace, and took unsteady steps to the window; the cool glass easing the fire rising inside her. The pain in her side flared again, bringing her to her knees, she spat blood and collapsed onto her back; she withdrew her hand from her side to find it dripping with her precious life essence. Chaeyoung frantically searched the room, pleading with her eyes for Mina's help, but found herself alone with cold stone floor pressing against her bare back. The room shifted from cold stone to warm wood, the pain in her side grew and grew, it tore her apart at the seams, blinding white heat washed over her in waves. 

When her blurry vision cleared for a moment, she took in the sight of a shadowed figure standing over her, blood drenched scissors clasped in one hand and even bloodier bandages in the other. The world faded in and out in flashes, it seemed to Chaeyoung that days were passing with each moment of clarity. Her mind became muddled, a disturbing haze of confusion clouded the events that had transpired, she couldn't piece together what had happened at all; in moments of lucidity, Chaeyoung saw a constant figure, someone or something watching over her. Perhaps it was the same figure that haunted her fever dreams, constantly at the edges of perception, ever present even in foggy memory; but it felt foreign, it didn't belong to her. The figure nor the memories.

Dreamlike, ancient, impossible landscapes stretched before her, from a time before the sun's routine travel across the heavens brought its warmth to the earth, before any semblance of life slithered from the watery depths to claim the land, before gods and demons, before man. A flash of blinding, burning light before the world began to change. The sun now ruled over the sky, and the inhabitants of the land, fauna and flora flourished, growing to sizes unheard of and taking on forms unimaginable. Another flash. Beasts of metal and fire now roamed the earth, leaving destruction in their wake, tearing asunder the labour of all living creatures fighting for survival in an untamed and unforgiving world. These creatures, these Titans, cast their dominion like shadow over the earth and soon the world went dark. 

The darkness cracked, shattered by the arrival of something new: calamity. 

Fireballs rained down on the earth, igniting the atmosphere, burning away the Titan's tyranny in a tide of cleansing flame. New beings rose from the corpses of the Titans, winged creatures of pure light, chased by fearsome creatures of equal darkness. Endlessly these beings poured from the Titans until they numbered each other equally. Peace reigned amongst the opposites, for they wanted for nothing, until twelve beings from each side took up arms and lead their respective kin to war with the other; the population had fast approached infinity, yet by the end of the war, almost none but the twelve survived. 

The twelve of light fled into the heavens, constructing a grand palace, a utopia far from the reaches of the evil below. Those that remained of darkness, ripped open the earth and created a world so putrid and vile, so dark and macabre, it would scare away those who sought to end their kind. This divided the earth into three plains of existence: the cosmos, land of light and those who would become gods, the land between was earth, where, from the soil sprouted those who became the first people, and the land of darkness, where those who fled the light grew ever more powerful as their contempt for those who would deny them life, festered. 

Without direction, without purpose, the people of earth searched for meaning, finding it in the remains of the Titans. It seemed natural to these people to worship those beings of such hideous, awesome power, and as always comes with a differing of opinion, man soon came to war; every soul on earth battled tirelessly for those who they felt were right. The gods of the cosmos, and those of the underworld, watched on, crying out sorrowfully for those who died, neither side wishing to see their followers, their believers, perish at the hands of the other. So it came to be that the gods, knowing another clash would eradicate those they loved so dearly, named champions to return to the earth and wage war on their behalf in the misguided belief that one side would triumph over the other.

Another flash of light. 

Chaeyoung now saw before her, a land healed after millenia of warfare. Where the ground had once run red, cities sprouted. Where countless souls had perished, mankind now lived in peace. Temples to the creator gods dotted the landscape, and the people continued their worship as part of daily routine. She saw those champions of the gods, revered as heroes by the people, in idols and adornments worm with pride. 

She traversed the streets of an ancient city, paid no attention by the crowds she passed through, until she came to a beautiful, marble and gold fountain; a woman, adorned in gold and turquoise, who seemed too beautiful to look at, noticed the knight and, with a warm smile, reached out her hand. Chaeyoung felt something stir inside her, something that had never been there before, or perhaps had always been there, and reached out to take the woman's hand. Her fingers were close enough to feel the heat radiating of the woman's skin. 

Then it faded away.

The knight shot up, crying out in pain, desperate to reach out and take the offered hand; the hand of a goddess was nowhere to be found, instead, a firm but caring hand laid her back down. Her constant companion leaned over her and smiled.

"I'd slow down if I were you. Ain't no point ruining the good doctor's needlework" said Yubin "How're ya feelin'?

Chaeyoung clutched Yubin's arm so tight she shook. 

"Where am I?"

"Still Steamtown"

"How long has it been?"

"Couple a hours, I 'spose"

"I...I saw things"

"Not surprising, really. I had to bring you back from the brink more than a few times in the short time since you were thrust into my care" said an unfamiliar voice "Death does that to the human body"

"I appreciate what you did for her, Ryujin"

"My services don't come cheap, I'm afraid. I'm right buggered when it comes to buying supplies this week" said the doctor, then to Chaeyoung "Although, having an opportunity to practice on such a fine specimen is its own reward"

"How long you planning on staying in Steamtown, doc?" Asked Yubin, checking out the contents of a bottle before taking a shot

"Honestly, I've taken - you do realise that's surgical spirits, yes? - I've taken quite a liking to the denizens of this place. Not to mention the constant flow of patients needing stitches or, my personal favourite, amputations, keeps me right busy"

Chaeyoung spoke before Yubin could continue their exchange "When you said specimen, what did you mean?"

The doctor finished pouring herself a drink and, after taking a sip, opened a desk drawer and handed Chaeyoung a notebook. The pages were filled with diagrams and notes, all pertaining to Chaeyoung's physiology.

"I've never seen a bio organism bond with inorganic materials in the way your body has bonded to the seemingly metal plating that runs along your body - by seemingly metal, I mean, that after testing scrapings, which dulled far too many tools for my liking, I found the material to be an alloy, but not of two metals, of a metallic substance and bone - let me know if I've lost you"

"Um, before you continue, do you have any experience with Nephilim?"

The doctor burst out laughing, so much so she doubled over and had to wipe away tears; she became stoic once more when she realised no one was laughing with her.

"You're bloody serious, aren't you?"

"I've seen her literally burst into flames and walk away from it, Ryujin" 

"So can the mechs in the combat arena-*

"Does she look like an automaton to you?"

"She's certainly unique"

"I need answers, about what I am, about who I am, doctor" implored Chaeyoung

"Give me a few days to go over my notes-"

"About that. Yeah, there's a horde a undead creatures on its way here, and they's probably gonna tear this place down"

"No, no, no. This is unacceptable-"

"We barely escaped and came here to warn the city. Jieun's probably already talkin with whoever she needs to"

"How dreadful. Just when I was thinking of settling down permanently" 

An explosion shook the building, debris cascaded past the dirty window and, for a moment, Steamtown was silent before erupting into total chaos.

The undead horde burst through the town's heavy, metal reinforced, doors with ease and began filling the streets; anyone caught in their path was butchered. Ryujin peered from her second floor window and turned back to her patient and visitor, mouth agape.

"The situation does seem quite dire" she finally managed to say after her stunned silence "When do we leave?"

"Thought you wanted to settle down here. Maybe start a family, be a mother to some unlucky sonofabitch-"

"Hmm, quite" said Ryujin "You've got a plan for escaping, I hope?"

Chaeyoung slid off the operating table and, after steadying herself with some effort, said:

"We fight our way out"

"Been doing too much a that lately" added Yubin "Don't expect ya to do any brawlin yerself, doctor"

"I'm no shrinking violet when it comes to violence, but yes, I would prefer to dirty my hands saving your lives than taking any"

"We need to find Jieun first" said Chae "Where's that fucking sword?"

"It's there by the desk" said Yubin, pointing at a shadowed desk in the corner "Should be safe ta use, cause I touched and I'm still me"

Chaeyoung dragged the sword off the desk and let the blade hit the ground with a soft thunk. She walked to the stairs, dragging the blade along the ground, and started down towards the street.

"Take what you need, doctor. Yubin will assist you, I'm sure" she called out from the stairs 

The knight didn't wait for a snarky comeback or cool remark courtesy of the doctor, and kicked the door open to the street; the first enemy that rushed past the door was struck down and smashed to pieces by a wide right swing. The haze of dust and blood made seeing anything almost impossible, but Chaeyoung had an objective and, although she had no idea where her comrade could be, it was still motivation enough for her to push aside whatever pain plagued her and find someone who had been willing to lay her life down for the knight.

It seemed, to Chaeyoung as she scanned the city turned battlefield, that it was very likely that every single citizen was armed to the teeth, be it with firearms or blades, not that it was much help as they were being slaughtered en mass by the horde. The knight spotted a tall, important looking building towards the north side of the city and set off for it, carving her way through the crowd, helping those she could along the way to escape to safety. It was just after helping two badly injured men, and dispatching the group of undead bearing down on them, that Chaeyoung realised why the hordes numbers never thinned: 

The slain citizens were rising from the dead to join the infernal army.

With her hatred for these creatures growing by the second, Chaeyoung headed for the building, hoping Jieun was safely inside. As the knight drew closer, she noticed the doors had been broken from the inside by something gargantuan in size; cries of distress from inside drove the knight to act. She entered the building and headed for the stairs, mantling rubble and debris, until she made it to the second floor. Weapon raised, Chaeyoung called out for the mage but received no response. She ventured in a few more steps before a shot rang out, narrowly missing her.

"Stop right there!" Commanded the shooter "I'm not looking for trouble. Please leave"

Chaeyoung, undeterred, stepped forward again, sword raised in defence.

"I'm no threat. I only wish to help" 

"Are you with those things outside?"

"No"

"Can I trust you?"

"You can"

There was silence, then a small sigh.

"I need some help. I think I'm dying"

"Where are you?" Inquired Chaeyoung, searching the room 

"Last window on the right, just below it. I'm trapped"

Chaeyoung follows the directions to spot, beneath a pile of rubble, a small face staring out at her.

"Where's the-" Chaeyoung stopped to remember what Jungkook had said "Where's the pistol?"

"Oh, here. By me. You can have it" said the person, as a gun was lobbed over the rubble to land near Chaeyoung "Guns are not really my thing. Fixing them and working on them, yeah. But using them, not really"

"I'm looking for someone, a mage"

"Uh, kinda fancy looking witchy type?"

"You've seen her?"

"Boy, did I ever"

"Which way did she go? Is she alive?"

"When those things got in here, she helped us fight them off, but then she ran out saying she had to find someone. Sorry I'm not much help"

"Thank you. Now, let me help you"

Chaeyoung walked over to the trapped woman and began trying to free her; a large chunk of stone had fallen across the woman's legs, pinning her in place. 

"If you can, I need you to push just a little bit and slide out. Can you do that?" 

"I'll try but don't expect much, my legs don't work"

The knight was silent for a moment, deep in thought about how she could help this woman. Chaeyoung wedged the blade in the space between fallen stone and the floor, and threw her entire weight into lifting the slab. Her effort was rewarded as the stone slowly began to rise, the gap became slightly bigger until the trapped woman was able to push herself out from underneath and to safety; the stone slab crashed to the floor with a colossal bang, deafening the two. When the ringing in Chaeyoung's ears subsided, she offered a hand to the downed woman.

"Call me Chae"

"Soyeon" said the woman, politely refusing the help up "The actuators on my legs are busted, and it looks like the drive unit's been smashed too. So, unless you want to carry me, I'll just-"

Before Siyeon could finish, Chaeyoung pulled her up onto her shoulders. Maneuvering through the building's stairs and back into the streets was no easy task with an impossibly heavy weapon and a whole person on her back, but Chaeyoung managed to escape the building with Soyeon. The city was falling apart around them, the massive engines that powered the city were slowly grinding to a halt, fire rampaged through the buildings closest to the engines and the screams of those trapped inside were ceaseless. Chaeyoung cut her way through the mass, with help from Soyeon, who was picking off targets with well placed shots.

"I thought you didn't like guns?" Huffed Chaeyoung, making her way back to Ryujin's clinic

"I dont, but I know how to use them. Call it a gift from my mother"

"Your mother live around here?"

"She died a couple years ago-"

"I'm sorry-"

"It's alright. It was so long ago that it doesn't hurt so much now. Since we're asking questions, and I'm not being rude here but, where's your clothes?"

Until Soyeon had mentioned it, Chaeyoung hadn't realised that she had nothing more than bloody bandages and padded chausses protecting her modesty, something the knight found quite funny.

"It appears I've misplaced my armour. It did feel a bit breezy" laughed Chaeyoung

"Oh, you're a fighter? Should've guessed by the sword skills"

"I'm a knight"

"Ohhh, that's so cool. I've got to get back to my shop, first to fix my legs and then to build you some armour"

"You said you build guns?"

"I do. In fact, I was waiting for a delivery just this morning. Got a new prototype I sent out for testing"

"Then you know Yubin and, contrary to previous information, Jieun?"

"Sorry, I didn't know if you were trustworthy. Yes, I know both of them- wait a minute, you know them too?"

"We were ambushed by the horde, Jieun got us out safely. She came to warn the city of an attack, but it seems she wasn't successful"

"Looks like it. Not that it's her fault, no one here listens to anybody"

"If you designed that weapon they were transporting, then I must say, it was terrifying"

"It worked?"

"Shockingly well. Does it have a name?"

"I'm not great at naming my inventions, but, officially it's called the JSMG Mk 1"

"And that means?"

"Oh, uh, as its creator, I kind of put my name on it. It's the Jeon Soyeon Machine Gun"

"It truly is an amazing piece of weaponry"

"Thanks. Although, I'm kind of worried about it being associated with me"

"How so?"

"So, I designed it as a test for another project. I intended to make a gun but I never thought it would work the first time"

"And this is bad, how?"

"I don't want to be known as the woman who created an improved tool of wholesale murder"

"Your invention would change the way war is fought forever. It's a monumental creation"

"I don't think for the better"

"You said it was a prototype. It doesn't have to be released into the world"

"I couldn't destroy it. It's one of my babies"

A long silence followed the conversation as the two made their way back to the clinic, save for tactical call outs and the occasional heads up. Eventually, the clinic came into view and Chaeyoung hurried herself and her cargo into the stairwell. The knight paused when she heard the sounds of a scuffle upstairs. 

"Wait here" she said, placing Soyeon on the steps "I won't be long"

"Hey. Hey. You can't leave me here" hissed Soyeon "But, I guess I'll keep watch"

Chaeyoung rushed up the steps, ready to fight, when a body came tumbling down the stairs. The knight sliced the corpse clean in two before reaching the top of the stairs. In the operating room, Chaeyoung found a blood soaked Ryujin, ripping a bonesaw through a mangled corpse; the doctor was on her knees, blood pooled around her. 

"Ryujin?-" Started Chaeyoung

"I had to do it"

"What happened? Where's Yubin?" Inquired the knight, clutching the blade just a little bit tighter 

"I had to defend myself. I'm not a murderer, I swear" 

"I understand. Now, please, tell me where Yubin is"

"Your voice. I can hear it in your voice. You think I killed her!"

"Ryujin! Where is Yubin?" Shouted Chaeyoung

"I. Don't. Know! That's what I've been trying to tell you but you won't listen!"

"How can you not know? Was she not with you?"

"No. She left me here while she went to look for Jieun"

"Where did these bodies come from?"

"These were my patients. They were dead, but..."

"Forgive yourself. These weren't people anymore"

"You're right. It's not like I can kill a person that's already dead, right?" Chuckled Ryujin nervously "W-we should leave"

"I agree, but we need to find Yubin and Jieun before we do"

"Hey. Hello?" Called Soyeon from the first floor "I heard shouting. You alright in there, Chae?"

Bonesaw raised, Ryujin ran to the top of the stairs.

"Who's there?" She shouted

"A friend of mine" answered Chaeyoung, before saying to Soyeon "We're coming down, are you ready to leave?"

"Kind of"

"What do you mean 'kind of'?"

"There're a group of these things crowding outside the door. We're kind of trapped here"

"No, we're not, we'll fight our way out if we have to"

"I'm in no state to be fighting anything, thank you very much" interjected Ryujin, showing Chaeyoung her trembling hands "I'm useless right now"

Chaeyoung, calling on her experience as a captain, gripped Ryujin by the shoulders and spoke very clearly and calmly.

"There is a woman downstairs who cannot walk, and helped me return to your clinic in spite of that fact. She isn't a fighter, she's an inventor, a thinker. But you. You've seen blood. You've seen trauma. Those bodies there are proof you can handle yourself when your life is on the line. You're more of a soldier than many of the recruits I lead into battle. You're a fighter. You. Can. Do. This" commanded Chaeyoung, slapping Ryujin once as she did

"I can do this. I can do this!" Shouted Ryujin, jumping up and down "I'm a killer. I'm a cold blooded killer!"

"Are you ready to fight for your life out there?"

"Yes!"

"Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

"I can't hear you. I said, are you ready, soldier?"

"Yes!"

"Yes what?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Then take up your arm...uh, saw, and join me in combat"

"I am the angel of death!"

With a scream of primal rage, Ryujin charged down the stairs, a fire raging in her eyes, and tripped over Soyeon still seated on the stairs. The doctor tumbled to the floor and began sobbing.

"I'm not ready. I'm scared" she whined "I don't want to die"

"Hey, come on. You'll be alright. Chae will protect you, right?" Said Soyeon, gently squeezing Ryujin's shoulder 

"I will try" answered Chaeyoung "Doctor, can you assist Soyeon?"

"Certainly"

"What's the plan, Chae?" Asked Soyeon

"We're going to move quickly, get you and the doctor out of the city-"

"I need to get my workshop, then I won't be such a weight on you two" said Soyeon, adding "It's not too far from here, in the industrial district"

"That's quite the distance, actually, it's bloody far from here-"

"Please, I need to save my sister. She's probably really scared right now and needs me. Please, Chae, I'm the only one she has left"

"Doctor, do you have any idea where Yubin might've gone?"

"No. Sorry"

"Alright. We'll head to your workshop, save your sister, then search the city for our friends. Objections?"

"I don't want to seem unfair or callous, but I don't know this girl or her sister at all" 

"You also didn't know me, yet here I stand, thanks to you" 

"I just-"

"I know you're scared, I am too, but you wanted to save lives. This is how you do it"

Soyeon looked up at Ryujin, then down at the floor. When she spoke, there was a tremor to her voice.

"You don't know me, I get that, but I'm not asking for me, I'm asking you to help save my sister because I can't. I'm broken and useless and not a good older sister to her because of the stupid mistakes I keep making. I can't let something happen to her. If this is the end, I can't let her be afraid. Please, Ryujin, help me help her"

"Fine" sighed Ryujin "We'll help your sister"

"There has to be a way through the city that doesn't thrust us right into the horde-" began Chaeyoung

"The sewers!" shouted Soyeon "We can use the sewers"

"Hmm, it could work. We don't know if those things are down there, but, their numbers would be far less" said Ryujin, absentmindedly running her fingers across the saw blade "The Industrial district is below the first section of sewer, it shouldn't be too difficult to find an exit once we're down there"

"My workshop is in the north west quadrant, right next to the Steamworks"

"That's the plan then?"

"Yes" said both Soyeon and Ryujin.

With their plans laid, the trio ventured into the ever maddening chaos and searched for an entrance to the sewer. The group moved stealthily, dipping into alleyways and empty buildings for cover; the trip was not without danger or confrontations, as Chaeyoung took a rather sound beating along the way. Nevertheless, the trio arrived at an open, leaking sewer grate near the area housing various bars and pubs, and quietly slipped inside.

The air in the sewer was a scent that not even death could match, a smell so vile, so putrid, so insidious in the way it crept into the senses that its existence defied belief.

"I think the smell has blinded me" commented Soyeon "Whose idea was this anyway?"

"Yours, I believe" barked Ryujin as they waded through waist deep, rancid water "I can only imagine the havoc this water is wreaking on your wounds, Chaeyoung"

Soyeon opened her mouth to speak but Chaeyoung silenced her with a raised hand.

"Quiet. We're not alone here" she said, pointing to a dim glow creeping around the corner

The knight stood in front of her two companions, sword at the ready; Chaeyoung had acquired a short sword from one the creatures she fell on the way, the khopesh sat strapped snuggly to her back. As the light grew nearer, so too did the sloshing of multiple footsteps; the approaching voices carried through the quiet sewer.

"We're down here now, let's make the best of it, alright, dear?" asked a woman

"I don't want to be down here. It smells and I'm hungry" whined another woman

"Who got us kicked out of the industrial district, hm?"

"It wasn't my fault, Yuna-"

"You trashed a whole warehouse, what did you think would happen?"

"You know I can't control myself when it happens!"

"That's why we're down here, Yeji"

The two rounded the corner and came face to face with Chaeyoung's sword; Soyeon had her pistol aimed over Ryujin's shoulder as well.

"Identify yourself" ordered Chaeyoung 

"Slow down, lady. We're not here to fight. We're just out here trying to survive" said the taller of the two 

"We're just passing through, probably going to leave town" said the other "What's your deal? Why are you dressed like that?"

"Identify yourselves"

"Okay. Okay. Relax. My name is Yuna, and this is my sister, Yeji"

"Let them be, Chae" said Soyeon

"I agree" added Ryujin

"My apologies' said Chae, reaching out her hand to Yeji

As Yeji reached out to take her hand, Chaeyoung grabbed her wrist and pulled her sleeve up, revealing stark, white scales running the length of her arm. The knight released her wrist when Yeji scrunched her eyes in fear.

"Please don't kill her, lady. She isn't bad, I swear" begged Yuna, pulling Yeji behind her "I can explain"

"I'm all ears" said Chaeyoung

"Okay, so, when we were a little younger, we kinda ran away from home, and then we ended up working for this sideshow, like with freaks and all that, but the ringmaster told us he was closing the gig down, so he kicks us out and we had nowhere to go, but then, we get picked up by a caravan and they bring us here to Steamtown but we couldn't find any work because reasons, there's no way my sister and I were going to be prostitutes, even though I totally respect people who do that, so, we got involved in this gang, doing small jobs like deliveries and some theft here and there, anyway, one night we break into a house near the upper floor of the industrial district, owned by this guy who made drugs and stuff, and we were there to, uh, liberate, yeah, liberate the recipe for one of his newer drugs, but then we got busted by his bodyguards and the only thing Yeji could think to do was drink this flask that had like, liquid fire in it, and then she coughed because, I guess it burned, I don't know and then when she coughed, she set the guys on fire and then we escaped the house, but they had already seen our faces so we were out of the gang and so, for the last couple of months we've been hopping from place to place until we can figure out a way to leave the city and start a new life" 

Yuna finished her story and took her first breath since starting. Chaeyoung stared at Yuna, mouth agape, at a total loss for words.

"So, I'm assuming the scales are a side effect of the tonic?" Asked Ryujin "Although they should have faded by now"

"Oh, those aren't from the stuff she drank" 

"Are you taking us for fools?" Scolded Chaeyoung 

"No no, see what happened was-"

"I'll explain" interjected Yeji "Please, don't be alarmed"

"We won't" said Soyeon

"What my sister said is true, for the most part. We did work for a sideshow and we did get involved with the gang, but, I'm...I'm... we're, Uhm, we're dragon kin"

"Impossible" scoffed Ryujin "Dragonborns died out long ago. You can't be Dragonborn"

"You said the same of the Nephilim" shot Chaeyoung "Are you two aware of what's happening topside?"

"We heard a really dull boom, but we assumed it was one of the engines failing again" answered Yeji "Is that not what's going on?"

"The city is in chaos-"

"What's new about that?" said Yuna before shying away from Ryujin's withering gaze

"A undead horde has breached the city walls and soon they'll spill into the lower levels"

"Shouldn't we warn everyone?" asked Yuna "But, I don't think we personally can help"

"Where are you two headed? Do you have somewhere safe to hide?" inquired Chaeyoung

"Not really. We're kinda hiding out here, due to Yeji's accident" 

"Come with us. You'll be safe and we'll find somewhere for you to lay low" 

"Chaeyoung-" started Ryujin

"We are not leaving them down here-"

"We can't adding people, we don't know, mind you, to this little party!"

"We can, and we will"

Yuna stepped between Chaeyoung and Ryujin and flashed a disarming smile at each of them.

"If it's going to cause problems, then my sister and I don't HAVE to come with you three"

"Yeah, uh, we do alright for ourselves, uh, kind of, and, um, we don't want, um, we don't want to be an inconvenience"

"It's fine. We will accompany the two of you to the industrial district" said Chaeyoung, shooting daggers at Ryujin "And it will be our pleasure"

Yeji stepped forward and reached out to Ryujin.

"If your friend is hurt, um, I'll, uh, I'll carry her" she offered

"I'm sure Ryujin-" began Soyeon before being dumped into Yeji's arms. 

Ryujin sloshed her way to the front of the group, shoulder checking Chaeyoung along the way

"If you have a problem with the way I lead, speak up" shot the Knight "We don't have time for pettiness"

"I care about living. Not you or any of these people"

Soyeon called out to Ryujin as she stomped away, but Chaeyoung stopped her.

"Let her go. Give her time to cool off" she said "She's probably scared, and I don't blame her"

"It's dangerous, we can't let her walk too far ahead"

"Where we came from, the industrial district entrance, it didn't seem dangerous. Not any more dangerous than usual" offered Yuna with a friendly, if not awkward, smile.

"We won't be far behind the doctor. Let's move" said Chaeyoung as she headed off after Ryujin.

The dank, odorous darkness made navigation difficult at times and impossible at others, without the aid of a light source. The light had been provided by a small, by bright, lantern carried by Soyeo, previously owned by the twins; the group came to find that the twin dragon sisters didn't need light as they could see perfectly well in the dark. As Ryujin drew further and further away from the group, Chaeyoung's apprehension grew along with the distance; a rumble from above shook the ground for a moment before stopping as though it never existed.

"Wonder what that was? Think it was bad?" Asked Yuna

"Most certainly was" came the answer from Soyeon, who called out after Ryujin "You alright so far up there, away from the group, away from safety, JinJin?"

"My name is Ryujin or Dr Shin" shouted the doctor in response "Although...some light would be appreciated"

The doctor slowed her steps and allowed the group to catch up with her. Another rumble shook the ground, followed by a series of smaller shocks and then came a large, earth shaking boom. The group steadied themselves against the slick sewer walls. Ryujin shot a worried look at Chaeyoung and then the group 

"This might actually be the end of the world" she said "Or at least this shit hole of a city"

"It can't be that bad-" started Yuna before being interrupted by an unseen speaker.

"How unfortunate to find yourselves in the spider's web"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. Fucking. Hate. This. Chapter.
> 
> I have never, ever disliked a piece of fiction more than I do this chapter.
> 
> I find it too disjointed to be coherent.
> 
> Too many goddamn characters.
> 
> But hey, it's here because I'm sick of looking at it.
> 
> Sorry.
> 
> Also I'm not back to writing. This is is just a mistake I want to get rid of.


	6. The Old Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick glimpse into the other side of the fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, this is a gross chapter. Sorry about it.
> 
> It's also really short. Like, really short.

"Fear the blood's calling. Ignore it's whispers. Nothing good can come from its use. Nothing" 

Those words, a warning, played time and time again through her head as she stared down at her notes. The woman strapped to a high backed, leather chair, clawed at her arm, scratching at her plague blackened skin; a long, silver needle pumped viscous, black liquid from a yellowed glass vial into her veins. Ignoring the burning, itching sensation as best she could, the woman turned her head and spoke to the figure that entered the room.

"Good evening, princess. I'm quite ashamed for you to see me in such a state"

"How goes your research, Sunmi?"

"Slow, but I am learning"

"One would never have suspected medicine was not your field of expertise. A witch turned scientist"

"I'm very much still a witch. This-" said Sunmi, motioning to the needle and jar "Is simply to attain a better understanding of our Lord's work"

Mina strolled over to a nearby table littered with books and vials, taking a thick tome in hand, skimming pages as she walked; she paused near the fireplace, standing closer than safety would allow, and knelt down. Mina reached out towards the flames, her finger mere inches away from the searing heat. If only she could feel the heat. If only she might once again feel the bite of flame against open skin. Instead, all Mina felt through her entire form, was cold.

"I keep that burning as a constant lesson in futility" sighed Sunmi "I haven't felt anything other than ice in my blood for the longest time"

"If giving up warmth means that I might once again share an embrace with my beloved knight, then it's a sacrifice I would make a thousand times over"

"Once I fully understand the gifts of this blood, you will be with your Chaeyoung again" 

Sunmi coughed violently, spitting blood as she did, splattering the dark stone floor with ink black, liquid that had the consistency of syrup. Mina stared at her from her place near the fire and sighed.

"There are more than enough bodies to test that on, it needn't be you"

"No" she wheezed in response "It has to be me. I can't have anyone else know about the blood. Least of all that dread knight"

"What's the harm in Sir Jin knowing?"

"I don't trust him. The power you gave him over that army leaves me feeling uneasy"

"I trust Sir Jin with my life, Sunmi"

Eyes turned towards the now nearly empty container, Sunmi began undoing the leather straps that held her in place, grimacing in pain as she did. Once she was free, the needle was removed with the care of a bricklayer. Sunmi lurched out of her seat and staggered towards the torn loveseat bathed in pale moonlight beneath a large, dramatically goth, wrought iron window and collapsed; a weary eye was turned in Mina's direction.

"I'm sorry, my lady, but I'm in no condition to continue our conversation"

"Of course" said Mina, placing the book back on the desk before she left the room, pausing in the doorway "Please, Sunmi, find a way for me to save her"

"You have my word, princess"

"Thank you"

The moment the door clicked shut, Sunmi let out a growl of utter anguish; she glared at the skin of her left arm, watching as it blistered and twisted itself open, forming deep red and black lesions. She reached for a scalpel and pressed the blade against her skin, prepared to excise whatever seemed to want out of her; her right hand trembled with the weight of her actions. An incessant scratching at the back her mind picked up a maddening pace, instilling a desire to reach back and rip her skull open if only to make it stop. A raspy voice, like dry leaves, spoke through the whispers, halting her hand.

"More"

"I can't give anymore"

"You must. You're so close to perfection"

"This is not what I was promised"

"You were promised power. You must make sacrifices first"

"I am making fucking sacrifices"

"You still fight this change. Become whole with the blood, become more than yourself"

Sunmi's hand shook as she dropped the scalpel to the floor with a clatter. She took to her feet and stumbled back in the direction of her workstation; a wave of nausea followed a heartbeat thump in her left arm, forcing her back into the examination chair she had only recently vacated. She placed her arm on the desk and swallowed the rising bile at the sight of it; something moved beneath the dying, decayed skin. Something alive. She reached for another scalpel but faltered when, what had originally been a constant burning itch, became something far worse. 

Gnawing. 

Tiny rings of teeth scratched from underneath her skin, picking apart her flesh from the inside. Fearing she may be driven even more mad by this new, unwanted sensation, Sunmi grabbed the scalpel and plunged in into her arm. A steady stream of blood ensured her desk and surrounds were thoroughly soaked with her tainted life essence. The pain didn't matter, the irreversible damage she was doing didn't matter. All the mattered was removing this sickness before it killed her. 

When she reached her limit, Sunmi dug her fingers into the hole she had made and, despite the mind numbing pain, managed to grab hold of whatever parasite had taken her as host. With a sickening squelch, the thing released its hold on her and, little by little, began to emerge; far past the point of passing out, Sunmi continued to remove what ailed her, inch by excruciating inch. 

What Sunmi removed from her arm, was a long, black, leech like entity, its body ballooned with a slightly luminescent, viscous, liquid the colour of ox blood. She threw the creature to the table and grabbed hold of her scalpel once more, ready to plunge its razor sharp blade into the little demon.

"Don't do it" said the scratching whisper "This is your gift"

"This is a parasite. Not power"

"It is an answer"

"Fine" said Sunmi, surrendering to the madness "What must I do?"

"Use the girl"

"Surely you cannot mean Mina"

"The friend"

Bandages wrapped tightly around her flayed skin, Sunmi staggered over to the centre of the room, where under the patterned rug, lay a heavy trapdoor, barred with iron banding; a wave of her hand and the trapdoor opened, releasing a cloud of mildewed mist into the air. 

Abyssal parasite clutched in her hand, Sunmi gingerly entered the cellar and descended the steps.

In the centre of the room, in a stone casket held aloft by dark magics, lay a young woman, trapped in a liminal state, not dead but not nearly alive.

Sunmi slowly approached the woman, resting against the stone casket to steady herself. A shaking hand stroked her cheek, leaving deep red stains along her porcelain skin. She held the parasite to the woman's flesh and looked away as it bit into her cold skin; it's tiny jaws latching it in place. The creature quivered as it began filtering its contents into its new host.

"I truly wish you had died in that forest" sighed Sunmi "For what it's worth. I'm sorry, Nayeon"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah. Wanted to put this out there. 
> 
> Had no power this afternoon, so I wrote this. It's quick, uggo and adds nearly nothing, but it's important, I swear.
> 
> Like, comment, whatever.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't do fantasy but here it is. 
> 
>  
> 
> I wrote this on a phone, so forgive any spelling or grammatical errors.


End file.
